C. MOLDOVAN, S. SOSIN, O. NEDELCU, U. KAUFMANN, H.-J. RITZHAUPT-KLEISSL, S. DIMOV, P. PETKOV, R. DOREY, K. PERSSON, D. GOMEZ, P. JOHANDER
Mixed Technologies for Microfabrication of Ceramic Gas Sensors

Abstract.
The paper presents the development of a novel suspended membrane resistive gas sensor on a ceramic substrate. The sensor is designed and simulated to be fabricated by combining laser milling techniques, conductive ceramic technology, thin film technology, and semiconductor metal oxides. Trenches are created in the alumina substrate in order to define the geometry of the heater using laser processing of the substrate. The heater is completed by filling the trenches with conductive ceramic paste and then baking to remove the solvent from the paste. The next step consists of polishing the surface to obtain a surface roughness small enough for thin film technology. A dielectric (SiO₂ or ceramic) material is than deposited, acting as hot plate and also as electrical isolation between the heater and sensing electrode. The sensing electrode consists of an interdigitated resistor made of Au or Pt with thickness in the range of 2 000–3 000 Å. The gas sensitive layer (S_nO₂) is deposited by screen printing or spinning. When heated it react with gas molecules and change its resistivity, acting as a sensor. The final step involves releasing the sensor, enabling it to be suspended on four bridges, to minimise the dissipation of the heat in the substrate.

Keywords: mixed technologies, chemoresistive gas sensor.