A new thin-film Pb microsensor based on chalcogenide glasses

A new all solid-state potentiometric Pb sensor has been developed on the ba sis of chalcogenide glass-sensitive material by means of the pulsed laser d eposition technique (PLD). The composition, structure and thickness of the deposited sensitive layer has been investigated by means of Rutherford back scattering spectrometry (RBS) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). T he sensor exhibits a high sensitivity (27-29 V/pPb) over six orders of magn itudes with short response time and low detection limit of 1 x 10(-7) mol/l . The selectivity, the pH interval and the long-term stability of the senso r is discussed. The combination of chalcogenide glass-sensitive materials w ith the method of thin-film layer deposition (PLD technique) allows to deve lop sensing materials with a wide spectrum of predefined properties in the thin film state, giving opportunity for the development of miniaturised thi n film sensors. Such sensors can be utilised in multisensor systems for the multicomponent analysis of complex media. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. A ll rights reserved.