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Performance and Modeling of a Nanostructured Relative Humidity Sensor

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 February 2011

Mike Taschuk ,
John Steele  and
Mike Brett
Mike Taschuk
Affiliation:
mtaschuk@ece.ualberta.ca, University of Alberta, Electrical and Computer Engineering, 9107 - 116 Street, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada T6G 2V4, Edmonton, T6G 2V4, Canada
John Steele
Affiliation:
jjsteele@ece.ualberta.ca, University of Alberta, Electrical and Computer Engineering, 9107 - 116 Street, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada T6G 2V4, Edmonton, T6G 2V4, Canada
Mike Brett
Affiliation:
brett@ece.ualberta.ca, University of Alberta, Electrical and Computer Engineering, 9107 - 116 Street, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada T6G 2V4, Edmonton, T6G 2V4, Canada
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Abstract

Capacitive humidity sensors were fabricated using interdigitated electrodes coated with amorphous nanostructured TiO2 thin films grown by glancing angle deposition. The sensor exhibited a large change in capacitance, increasing exponentially from ∼ 1 nF to ∼ 1 μF for an increase in relative humidity from 2 % to 92 %. A simple model of the capacitive response and dielectric constant of the devices has been developed and compared to the experimental results. From this comparison, it is clear that the magnitude of the device response observed cannot be explained with bulk dielectric constants or literature values.

Keywords

sensorphysical vapor deposition (PVD)dielectric properties

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