Properties of pulsed-laser deposited nanocomposite NiO:Au thin films for gas sensing applications

TL;DR

This study introduces a novel pulsed laser deposition method using synchronized lasers to create NiO:Au nanocomposite thin films, which show enhanced gas sensing capabilities, especially for hydrogen detection.

Contribution

The paper presents a new laser deposition technique with synchronized lasers for fabricating NiO:Au nanocomposites, improving gas sensor sensitivity.

Findings

Gold nanoparticles increase sensor sensitivity.

Laser fluence affects nanocomposite properties.

Enhanced hydrogen sensing performance.

Abstract

Nanocomposite thin films formed by gold nanoparticles embedded in a nickel oxide matrix have been synthesized by a new variation of the pulsed laser deposition technique. Two actively synchronized laser sources, a KrF excimer laser at 248 nm and an Nd:YAG laser at 355 nm, were used for the simultaneous ablation of nickel and gold targets in oxygen ambient. The structural, morphological, and electrical properties of the obtained nanocomposite films were investigated in relation to the fluence of the laser irradiating the gold target. The nanocomposite thin films were tested as electrochemical hydrogen sensors. It was found that the addition of the gold nanoparticles increased the sensor sensitivity significantly.