Gas-sensing properties of nanocrystalline WO3 films made by advanced reactive gas deposition

Nanocrystalline WO, films were produced by advanced reactive gas deposition onto alumina substrates. The as-deposited films had a tetragonal crystal s tructure and a mean grain size of around 6 nm, as found by X-ray diffractio n and electron microscopy, Sintering at a temperature tau (S) > 770 K yield ed monoclinic films, We investigated the gas-sensing properties of films si ntered up to 870 K, After an initial "activation" at tau (S) = 750 K, the n anocrystalline WO3 films showed excellent gas-sensing properties, even at r oom temperature, on exposure to law concentrations of H2S in air. As little as 10 ppm of H2S made the conductance increase by a factor of about 10(3) within 10 min. The initial properties could be restored by heating the film s to 530 K for 1 min.