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Interdigitated Electrodes

The document discusses using interdigitated electrodes to improve the performance of gas sensors made from metal oxide materials like SnO2. It proposes using a comb-like electrode structure with narrow spacing between adjacent fingers to allow measuring the sensor's resistance at lower voltages. Estimates show that with a spacing of 200 um between finger electrodes covering an area of 7mm x 3.3mm, about 12 fingers on each side would be needed. This interdigitated electrode design could operate at a voltage 17.5 times lower than a normal electrode configuration while achieving the same current density.

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189 views2 pages

Interdigitated Electrodes

The document discusses using interdigitated electrodes to improve the performance of gas sensors made from metal oxide materials like SnO2. It proposes using a comb-like electrode structure with narrow spacing between adjacent fingers to allow measuring the sensor's resistance at lower voltages. Estimates show that with a spacing of 200 um between finger electrodes covering an area of 7mm x 3.3mm, about 12 fingers on each side would be needed. This interdigitated electrode design could operate at a voltage 17.5 times lower than a normal electrode configuration while achieving the same current density.

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Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.

interdigitated electrodes in metal oxide base gas sensors such as SnO2

we have to the introduce the principle of operation in such type of gas sensors. It is so the
material is made to consist of nanograins and printed on alumina substrate. The thickness of the
printed sensing material is in the order of micrometers. It is supplied by two platinum electrodes to
measure its resistance. So, the resistance of the film changes on subjecting it to the gas to be
sensed.

So conceptually one has to construct the electrodes to achieve the requirements on the good
performance of the sensor.

The overall material film dimensions as an example are the length L=7 mm, width W= 3.5 mm and
thickness d=50 um according to the paper in the link:
http://www.uta.edu/rfmems/BMC/0720/0902_backup/Background/c320r1.pdf ,

From the conceptual point of view one can use two long strip electrodes at the long edges of the
specimen film which is in the shape of rectangle of 7mmx 3.3 mm. That is, one can access the
resistance of the specimen by two edge metallic strips with the length of 7mm and width of 100 um
for example. The resistance of the sensor is then R= roh W/ L d,

where roh is the resistivity of the sensor material which will be affected by the ambient gas.

In order to measure the resistance R one applies a DC voltage to pass an appreciable easy
measurable current in the sensor material.

As the distance between the electrodes increases one has to increase the working voltage to affect
the same current density.

It is so that one wants to work at low voltage while passing appreciable measuring current. This can
be accomplished by reducing the distance between the electrodes.

The question now, how would we decrease the distance between the electrodes keeping the gas
sensing area as large as possible as the given example 7mmx 3.3 mm?

As an example let us assume that we want that distance between the electrodes gets as small as 200
um. The solution will be in the interdigitated structure of the electrodes. That is two interlaced
combs. The distance between the adjacent comb fingers will be the targeted distance df, where df is
the spacing between the adjacent fingers of the comb electrodes.

Let us now complete the exercise:

Given the above dimensions estimate the no of required fingers:

The pitch p which is distance between the centers of the adjacent comb fingers= df + width of the
finger strip= .2 +.1= .3 mm,

Given the length pf the comb electrode = length of the specimen=7 mm,

then the total no. of fingers= 7/0.3= about 23 fingers. Fingers from each side= 23/3= about 12 fingers
on each comb

Now let us to estimate our voltage scaling factor for the same electric field E:
For the normal electrode E= Vn/ w,

For the comb electrode E= Vcomb/df,

The scaling factor will be = Vcomb/ Vn = 3.5/ 0.2= 17.5

This digitized electrode can be operated at a voltage smaller than the normal electrode by 17.5 times
and affect the same current density.

This is the benefit of the digitized electrode demonstrated

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