Preparation and enhanced humidity sensitivity of ZnWO4–ZnO composite film
摘要
The ZnWO4–ZnO composite thin film ceramic humidity sensors were fabricated by direct current magnetron sputtering method. X-ray diffraction and energy dispersive spectroscopy spectra confirm at sputtering powers of 20 W and 30 W, both ZnWO4 monoclinic phase and ZnO hexagonal phase are present in the films, forming the ZnWO4–ZnO composite films. When the sputtering power is 40 W, the film is composed of a single ZnWO4 phase. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) images show that as the sputtering power increases, the grain size gradually increases, the grain boundary area decreases, and the surface roughness of the film reduces. Compared with the pure ZnWO4 film, the ZnWO4–ZnO composite film shows enhanced humidity performance, improved sensitivity, and reduced response time and recovery time by half. It is because the band gap of ZnO is smaller than that of ZnWO4, making it easier to interact with water molecules, which results in higher sensitivity and faster response of the film. In addition, the ZnWO4–ZnO composite films have larger roughness and more grain boundary area, which can provide more active sites for the adsorption of water molecules, thereby improving the humidity performance.