# Laser Deposition of Metal Oxide Structures for Gas Sensor Applications

## TL;DR

This paper explores using laser techniques to create metal oxide structures on glass for gas sensing, showing they can detect various gases effectively.

## Contribution

The study introduces a novel laser method for fabricating composite metal oxide structures suitable for gas sensor applications.

## Key findings

- Laser-deposited materials form nanostructured films with microsized nanoparticle clusters.
- Metal targets produce structures with both metal and oxide phases.
- Deposited materials show gas sensing capabilities for NH3, CO, ethanol, acetone, and N2O at 30 ppm.

## Abstract

This work presents results on laser-induced fabrication of metal and oxide structures on glass substrates. The Laser-Induced Reverse Transfer (LIRT) technique is applied using Zn and Sn, sintered ZnO and SnO2, and oxide composite targets. The processing is performed by nanosecond pulses of a Nd:YAG laser system operated at wavelength of 1064 nm. Detailed analyses of the deposited material morphology, composition and structure are presented, as the role of the processing conditions is revealed. It is found that at the applied conditions of using up to five laser pulses, the deposited material is composed of a nanostructured film covered in microsized nanoparticle clusters or droplets. The use of metal targets leads to formation of structures composed of metal and oxide phases. The adhesion test shows that part of the deposited material is stably adhered to the substrate surface. It is demonstrated that the deposited materials can be used as resistive gas sensors with sensitivity to NH3, CO, ethanol, acetone and N2O, at concentrations of 30 ppm. The ability of the method to deposit composite structures that consist of a mixture of both investigated oxides is also demonstrated.