# Effect of Annealing Treatment on Sensing Response of Inorganic Film Taste Sensor to Sweet Substances

## TL;DR

This study explores how annealing affects the performance of inorganic film taste sensors in detecting sweet substances.

## Contribution

The study reveals how different annealing temperatures influence the sensor's response to sweet substances, particularly electrolytes and non-electrolytes.

## Key findings

- Annealing at 600 °C changes crystal orientation and increases sensor response to non-electrolytes like aspartame and glucose.
- Annealing at 150 °C and 300 °C reduces sensor variability.
- The sensor shows a negative response to the electrolyte acesulfame potassium but a positive response to non-electrolytes.

## Abstract

The effect of annealing treatment on an inorganic film for taste sensors has not been fully elucidated. In this study, we developed an inorganic film taste sensor using SnO2 as a sensitive film and evaluated the effect of annealing treatment on its sensing response to sweet substances. First, we confirmed from XRD patterns that annealing at 600 °C caused a change in crystal orientation. Next, the taste sensor response to acesulfame potassium solution, which is a high-intensity sweetener and an electrolyte, showed a negative response with high concentration dependence. On the other hand, the sensors exhibited a positive response to non-electrolytes such as aspartame and glucose, with the sensor annealed at 600 °C showing a larger response to non-electrolytes compared to the other sensors. In terms of concentration dependence, the response to aspartame was higher, whereas the response to glucose was lower. Also, a reduction in variability was observed after annealing treatment at 150 °C and 300 °C. This phenomenon was clarified by comprehensively investigating various properties.