FT-IR CHARACTERIZATION OF TIN DIOXIDE GAS SENSOR MATERIALS UNDER WORKING-CONDITIONS

In this work self-supporting tin dioxide disks are characterized using FT-IR spectroscopy in the presence of a reducing gas in air, and in different O-2/N-2 mixtures at temperatures varying from room temperature up to 450 degrees C. Every factor inducing a change in the oxygen content of the gas atmosphere above the tin dioxide, as for instance a temperature change, a surface reaction or adsorption of another species, induces a broad, intense IR absorption band with discrete weak bands superimposed on it. This broad absorption is assigned to the electronic transition from a native donor level, the oxygen vacancy in the bulk of the domain, to the conduction band of the tin dioxide material. For the interpretation of the narrow, superimposed absorptions, two hypotheses remain. The results demonstrate that FT-IR spectroscopy is an extremely suitable technique for the characterization of semiconducting metal oxide sensors, since it allows to follow in situ the processes in the bulk, at the surface and in the surrounding gas atmosphere of the sensor material at working temperature as well as in the presence of reducing gases in air.