The conductance response to NO in dry synthetic air and in nitrogen of some tin dioxide-based thin and thick films containing either indium or aluminium, as a trivalent additive, is measured in the temperature range 25 to 350 °C at NO concentrations from 0.1 ppm upwards. The recovery of conductance of the films after removal of NO from the gas flow is also studied. Some experiments on the conductance response to NO2 and to N2O are also carried out, for comparison. Tin dioxide thin films, with indium as a trivalent additive, are grown on alumina substrates using the thermal evaporation and the r.f. reactive magnetron sputtering techniques. Thick-film samples, containing aluminium as a trivalent additive, are made by screen printing on alumina substrates. The tin dioxide used in the thick-film paste is made according to the method described by Fuller and Warwick. © 1990.