SILICON CARBIDE MICRO-DEVICES FOR COMBUSTION GAS SENSING UNDER HARSH CONDITIONS

Ghosh, Ruby N. ; Tobias, Peter ; Tobin, Roger G.

Michigan State University (United States)

关键词: Removal;    Platinum;    Combustion;    Oxidation;    Silicon Carbides;   

DOI  :  10.2172/835632
RP-ID  :  NONE
RP-ID  :  FC26-03NT41847
RP-ID  :  835632

美国|英语

来源: UNT Digital Library

【 摘 要 】

A sensor based on the wide bandgap semiconductor, silicon carbide (SiC), has been developed for the detection of combustion products in power plant environments. The sensor is a catalytic gate field effect device that can detect hydrogen containing species in chemically reactive, high temperature environments. For these capacitive sensors we have determined that the optimum sensor operating point in terms of sensor lifetime and response time is at midgap. Detailed measurements of the oxide leakage current as a function of temperature were performed to investigate the high temperature reliability of the devices. In addition, robust metallization and electrical contacting techniques have been developed for device operation at elevated temperatures. To characterize the time response of the sensor responses in the millisecond range, a conceptually new apparatus has been built. Using laser induced fluorescence imaging techniques we have shown that the gas underneath the sensor can be completely exchanged with a time constant under 1 millisecond. Ultrahigh vacuum studies of the surface chemistry of the platinum gate have shown that sensor deactivation by adsorbed sulfur is a possible problem. Investigations on the chemical removal of sulfur by catalytic oxidation or reduction are continuing.