Mesoporous sol-gel deposited SiO2-SnO2 nanocomposite thin films

Nanocomposite SiO2-SnO2 thin films were prepared on oxidized silicon substrates using the sol-gel technique with SnCl2·2H2O as a tin precursor and tetraethylorthosilicate (TEOS) as a silica source. The porous structure of the films was investigated by atomic force microscope. Gas sensitivity of the samples was measured at different temperatures and for different H2 concentrations. Advanced gas sensing properties were obtained for a silica fraction of 10 at% providing a mesoporous microstructure.