Electrical response of RF sputtered ultra thin Pd films on exposure with methanol and acetone vapours

Thermally annealed ultra thin Pd films grown using RF sputtering have been exposed to methanol and acetone vapours. These films showed different electrical behavior at elevated temperatures (150 to 250 degC) for the two materials. These films contain PdO in as established earlier by ESCA studies. The time response of electrical resistance of these films provide different patterns for the methanol and acetone vapours and can be used to detect/distinguish these compounds selectively in vapour form. (author)