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Sub-Second Humidity Sensing based on Nanostructured Narrow-Bandpass Optical Filters

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 February 2011

John Jeremiah Steele ,
Andy C. van Popta ,
Matthew M. Hawkeye ,
Jeremy C. Sit  and
Michael J. Brett
John Jeremiah Steele
Affiliation:
jsteele@ualberta.ca, University of Alberta, Electrical and Computer Engineering, 9107 116 street, Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 2V4, Canada, 780-492-7926, 780-492-2863
Andy C. van Popta
Affiliation:
vanpopta@ualberta.ca, University of Alberta, Electrical and Computer Engineering, 9107 116 Street, Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 2V4, Canada
Matthew M. Hawkeye
Affiliation:
mhawkeye@ualberta.ca, University of Alberta, Electrical and Computer Engineering, 9107 116 Street, Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 2V4, Canada
Jeremy C. Sit
Affiliation:
jsit@ece.ualberta.ca, University of Alberta, Electrical and Computer Engineering, 9107 116 Street, Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 2V4, Canada
Michael J. Brett
Affiliation:
brett@ece.ualberta.ca, University of Alberta, Electrical and Computer Engineering, 9107 116 Street, Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 2V4, Canada
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Abstract

An optical-based humidity sensor with a sub-second response time was fabricated from a nanostructured titanium dioxide thin film. A refractive index profile designed to yield a narrow-bandpass optical interference filter was obtained through nanoscale porosity variations produced by glancing angle deposition (GLAD). Under varying humidity conditions the transmittance spectrum of the filter shifts due to effective index changes of the porous structure resulting from adsorption/desorption of water vapor. In the following we will show that this device is highly sensitive, exhibits minimal hysteresis, and is extremely fast. The adsorption and desorption response times were measured to be 270 ms and 160 ms, respectively.

Keywords

sensorfilmnanostructure
Type
Research Article
Information
MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) , Volume 915: Symposium R – Nanostructured Materials and Hybrid Composites for Gas Sensors and Biomedical Applications , 2006 , 0915-R07-01
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2006

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