Nanostructured Mixed Phase Vanadium Oxide Thin Films as Highly Sensitive Ammonia Sensor Material

AbstractPulsed laser deposition was used to produce vanadium oxide thin films on oxidized silicon substrates. Structural characterization concluded that the films consisted of two phases, orthorombic V2O5 and triclinc V7O16. Thin films performance as conductometric gas sensors was tested and they were found to be sensitive to ammonia gas already at ppb-level concentrations. Also selectivity of NH3 to NO was high. The cross-sensitivity measurements between ammonia and NO showed that the responses to these gases can be discriminated from each other even at 20ppm concentrations. This is promising result from selective catalytic reduction point of view