A Sensitive Thick Film as a Candidate for Ethanol Gas Sensor from Jarosite-based Minerals
Hasniah Aliah (1*), Dani Gustaman Syarif (2), Ryan Nur Iman (1), Asti Sawitri (3), Andhy Setiawan (4)

1) Department of Physics, Universitas Islam Negeri Sunan Gunung Djati Bandung, Jl. A.H. Nasution 105, Bandung 40614, Indonesia
*hasniahaliah[at]uinsgd.ac.id
2) Center for Applied Nuclear Science and Technology, National Nuclear Agency, Jl. Taman Sari 71 Bandung 40132, Indonesia
3) Department of Physics, Halim Sanusi University, Jl. Laswi 1 Bandung 40271, Indonesia
4) Department of Physics, Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia, Jl. Dr Setiabudhi 229 Bandung 40154, Indonesia

Abstract

We report this study that aims to know thick film sensitivity to ethanol gas. The thick film was fabricated from local mineral, is Jarosite as a source of iron oxide and mixed with zinc oxide and Mangan oxide. The semiconductor mixture powder was synthesized by the sol-gel method, whereas the film was fabricated by a screen printing method. The film sensitivity was known with a gas sensing performance analyzer. An ethanol gas was adsorbed well by a thick film with different electrical resistance values. Due to the difference in the electrical resistance value, the thick film exhibited good sensitivity performance. The highest sensitivity was achieved approximately 91.7% among 4 gas concentration level of ethanol. In addition, the morphology of the thick film was examined by SEM that showed a pyramid-like form with a little polluter around them. The pyramid-like form looks like a spinel structure with a complex spinel-type where this structure is very well utilized for gas sensor device applications. Furthermore, these characteristics of the thick film indicated an opportunity that it can be a candidate for an ethanol gas sensor device.

Keywords: Complex Spinel, Gas Sensor, Jarosite, Semiconductor, Thick Film.

Topic: Physics