Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Dynamic humidity response of surface acoustic wave sensors based on zinc oxide nanoparticles sensitive film

  • Published:
Applied Physics A Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

ZnO nanoparticles/quartz surface acoustic wave (SAW) humidity sensors were fabricated, and their sensing performance was investigated. The pristine ZnO deposited on ST-cut quartz substrates by radio frequency magnetron sputtering is nanoparticles with grain sizes of 20–50 nm. The comparative analysis for humidity sensing applications of SAW-Love devices based on ZnO sensitive layers with different deposition pressures (0.25 Pa, 0.5 Pa, 1.0 Pa) was conducted, and their properties such as sensor sensitivity, response and recovery were studied. The sensors exhibit a good sensitivity in relative humidity (RH) from ~ 1% RH to 95% RH. Rayleigh mode and Sezawa mode frequency responses of the sensors increase with increasing humidity. The Sezawa mode shows 2–3 times higher humidity sensitivity than its Rayleigh mode counterpart for different RH. Rayleigh and Sezawa mode of 0.5 Pa ZnO nanoparticles-based SAW-Love sensor obtains a higher average sensitivity of 237.4 Hz/% RH and 388.1 Hz/% RH, respectively. Furthermore, the measured response frequencies values decrease rapidly and returned to near the initial state after moisture off. This comparative study demonstrates that the SAW-Love based on Sezawa mode has a great potential for applications in chemo-sensors.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. J. Chu, X. Peng, P. Feng, Y. Sheng, J. Zhang, Study of humidity sensors based on nanostructured carbon films produced by physical vapor deposition. Sens. Actuators B Chem. 178, 508–513 (2013)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. X.L. He, D.J. Li, J. Zhou, W.B. Wang, W.P. Xuan, S.R. Dong, H. Jin, J.K. Luo, High sensitivity humidity sensors using flexible surface acoustic wave devices made on nanocrystalline ZnO/polyimide substrates. J. Mater. Chem. C 1(39), 6210–6215 (2013)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. U. Mogera, A.A. Sagade, S.J. George, G.U. Kulkarni, Ultrafast response humidity sensor using supramolecular nanofibre and its application in monitoring breath humidity and flow. Sci. Rep. 4, 4103 (2014)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  4. J.N. Schönberg, V. Kondrashov, A. Prokhorov, J. Rühe, Capacitive humidity and dew-point sensing: influence of wetting of surface-attached polymer monolayers on the sensor response. Sens. Actuators B Chem. 222, 87–94 (2016)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. M.Q. Liu, C. Wang, N.Y. Kim, High-sensitivity and low-hysteresis porous mimtype capacitive humidity sensor using functional polymer mixed with TiO2 microparticles. Sensors 17(2), 284 (2017)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  6. J. Qian, Z. Peng, Z. Shen, Z. Zhao, G. Zhang, X. Fu, Positive impedance humidity sensors via single-component materials. Sci. Rep. 6, 25574 (2016)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  7. D. Zhang, H. Chang, P. Li, R. Liu, Q. Xue, Fabrication and characterization of an ultrasensitive humidity sensor based on metal oxide/graphene hybrid nanocomposite. Sens. Actuators B Chem. 225, 233–240 (2016)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. D. Zhang, X. Zong, Z. Wu, Y. Zhang, Ultrahigh-performance impedance humidity sensor based on layer-by-layer self-assembled tin disulfide/titanium dioxide nanohybrid film. Sens. Actuators B Chem. 266, 52–62 (2018)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Z. Yuan, H. Tai, X. Bao, C. Liu, Z. Ye, Y. Jiang, Enhanced humidity-sensing properties of novel graphene oxide/zinc oxide nanoparticles layered thin film QCM sensor. Mater. Lett. 174, 28–31 (2016)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. K.N. Chappanda, O. Shekhah, O. Yassine, S.P. Patole, M. Eddaoudi, K.N. Salama, The quest for highly sensitive QCM humidity sensors: the coating of CNT/MOF composite sensing films as case study. Sens. Actuators B Chem. 257, 609–619 (2018)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Y. Tang, Z. Li, J. Ma, L. Wang, J. Yang, B. Du, Q. Yu, X. Zu, Highly sensitive surface acoustic wave (SAW) humidity sensors based on sol-gel SiO2 films: investigations on the sensing property and mechanism. Sens. Actuators B Chem. 215, 283–291 (2015)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. X. Le, X. Wang, J. Pang, Y. Liu, B. Fang, Z. Xu, C. Gao, Y. Xu, J. Xie, A high performance humidity sensor based on surface acoustic wave and graphene oxide on AlN/Si layered structure. Sens. Actuators B Chem. 255, 2454–2461 (2018)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Z.L. Xu, Y.J. Yuan, Implementation of guiding layers of surface acoustic wave devices: a review. Biosens. Bioelectron. 99, 500–512 (2018)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. X.D. Lan, S.Y. Zhang, Y. Wang, L. Fan, X.J. Shui, Humidity responses of Love wave sensors based on (1120) ZnO/R-sapphire bilayer structures. Sens. Actuators A Phys. 230, 136–141 (2015)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. I.E. Kuznetsova, V.I. Anisimkin, V.V. Kolesov, V.V. Kashin, V.A. Osipenko, S.P. Gubin, S.V. Tkachev, E. Verona, S. Sun, A.S. Kuznetsova, Sezawa wave acoustic humidity sensor based on graphene oxide sensitive film with enhanced sensitivity. Sens. Actuators B Chem. 272, 236–242 (2018)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. A. Buvailo, Y. Xing, J. Hines, E. Borguet, Thin polymer film based rapid surface acoustic wave humidity sensors. Sens. Actuators B Chem. 156(1), 444–449 (2011)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. P.A. Lieberzeit, C. Palfinger, F.L. Dickert, G. Fischerauer, SAW RFID-tags for mass-sensitive detection of humidity and vapors. Sensors 9, 9805–9815 (2009)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  18. H.S. Hong, D.T. Phan, G.S. Chung, High-sensitivity humidity sensors with ZnO nanorods based two-port surface acoustic wave delay line. Sens. Actuators B Chem. 171, 1283–1287 (2012)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. G. Niarchos, G. Dubourg, G. Afroudakis, M. Georgopoulos, V. Tsouti, E. Makarona, V. Crnojevic-Bengin, C. Tsamis, Humidity sensing properties of paper substrates and their passivation with ZnO nanoparticles for sensor applications. Sensors 17(3), 516 (2017)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  20. P. Biswas, S. Kundu, P. Banerji, S. Bhunia, Super rapid response of humidity sensor based on MOCVD grown ZnO nanotips array. Sens. Actuators B Chem. 178, 331–338 (2013)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. E. Modaresinezhad, S. Darbari, Realization of a room-temperature/self-powered humidity sensor, based on ZnO nanosheets. Sens. Actuators B Chem. 237, 358–366 (2016)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  22. W. Xuan, M. He, N. Meng, X. He, W. Wang, J. Chen, T. Shi, T. Hasan, Z. Xu, Y. Xu, J.K. Luo, Fast response and high sensitivity ZnO/glass surface acoustic wave humidity sensors using graphene oxide sensing layer. Sci. Rep. 4, 7206 (2014)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  23. G.M. Ashley, P.B. Kirby, T.P. Butler, R. Whatmore, J.K. Luo, Chemically sensitized thin-film bulk acoustic wave resonators as humidity sensors. J. Electrochem. Soc. 157(12), J419–J424 (2010)

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

This study was supported by the Doctoral Scientific Research Foundation of China West Normal University (No. 20E026) to Z. L. Xu. The authors also acknowledge Southwest Jiaotong University’s Laboratory of Biosensing and Microelectronics for allowing the use of the cleanroom facilities to fabricate the SAW devices.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Electronic Information Engineering, China West Normal University, Nanchong, 637002, Sichuan, People’s Republic of China

    Zhangliang Xu & Zhifeng Li

  2. Laboratory of Biosensing and MicroMechatronics, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu, 610031, Sichuan, People’s Republic of China

    Zhangliang Xu

Authors
  1. Zhangliang Xu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Zhifeng Li
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Zhangliang Xu.

Additional information

Publisher's Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Xu, Z., Li, Z. Dynamic humidity response of surface acoustic wave sensors based on zinc oxide nanoparticles sensitive film. Appl. Phys. A 127, 422 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00339-021-04587-6

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00339-021-04587-6

Keywords

Search

Navigation