J. Semicond. > 2017, Volume 38 > Issue 9 > 094003, doi: 10.1088/1674-4926/38/9/094003
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SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES

Application research on the sensitivity of porous silicon

Gaobin Xu, Ye Xi, Xing Chen and Yuanming Ma

+ Author Affiliations

 Corresponding author: Gaobin Xu, Email: gbxu@hfut.edu.cn

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Abstract: Applications based on sensitive property of porous silicon (PSi) were researched. As a kind of porous material, the feasibility of PSi as a getter material was studied. Five groups of samples with different parameters were prepared. The gas-sensing property of PSi was studied by the test system and suitable parameters of PSi were also discussed. Meanwhile a novel structure of humidity sensor, using porous silicon as humidity-sensitive material, based on MEMS process has been successfully designed. The humidity-sensing properties were studied by a test system. Because of the polysilicon layer deposited upon the PSi layer, the humidity sensor can realize a quick dehumidification by itself. To extend service life and reduce the effect of the environment, a passivation layer (Si3N4) was also deposited on the surface of electrodes. The result indicated the novel humidity sensor presented high sensitivity (1.1 pF/RH%), low hysteresis, low temperature coefficient (0.5%RH/℃) and high stability.

Key words: porous silicon, MEMS, humidity sensor, gas sensing



[1]
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[2]
Canham L T. Silicon quantum wire array fabrication by electrochemical and chemical dissolution of wafers. Appl Phys Lett, 1990, 57(10):1046 doi: 10.1063/1.103561
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[14]
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Wajihuddin M, Chester W, Ville K. Introducing porous silicon as a getter using the self aligned maskless process to enhance the quality factor of packaged MEMS resonators. 2011 Joint Conference of the IEEE International Frequency Control and the European Frequency and Time Forum (FCS), 2011: 1
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[21]
Gharbi A, Remaki B, Halimaoui A. High-density oxidized porous silicon. Semicond Sci Technol, 2012, 27(10):1 http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2012SeScT..27j5017G
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Shibata H, Ito M, Asakursa M. A digital hygrometer using a polyimide film relative humidity sensor. Instrum Meas, 1996, 45(2):564 doi: 10.1109/19.492788
[23]
Schubert P J, Joseph H A. Polyimide-based capacitive humidity sensor. Electron Devices, 1985, 7:1220
[24]
Xu Y Y, He J T, Li X J, et al. Study on humidity sensing properties of hydrothermally etched iron-passivated porous silicon. J Trans Technol, 2004, 23(3):11 http://en.cnki.com.cn/Article_en/CJFDTOTAL-CGQJ200403003.htm
[25]
Jiang B. Study on fabrication and performance of porous silicon humidity sensor. Master Thesis Heilongjiang University, Harbin, Heilongjiang, China, 2010
[26]
Wang Y, Yeow J T W. Humidity sensor of ordered macro-porous silicon with HfO2 thin-film surface coating. IEEE Sens J, 2009, 9(5):541 doi: 10.1109/JSEN.2009.2016602
[27]
Chen W H, Huang J Q. Study of a capacitive humidity sensor with an on-chip heater. Chin J Sens Actuators, 2015, 28(3):315 http://www.en.cnki.com.cn/Article_en/CJFDTotal-CGJS201503003.htm
Fig. 1.  The schematic of electrochemical etching double-tank.

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Fig. 2.  (Color online)The schematic diagram of the novel humidity sensor based on PSi.

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Fig. 3.  (Color online) The schematic diagram of sensor structures: (a) sandwich type, (b) flat type, (c) novel type in this paper.

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Fig. 4.  (Color online) The schematic diagram of the process of sensor preparation.

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Fig. 5.  (Color online) Sensor surface under microscope.

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Fig. 6.  (Color online) The surface AFM images of the samples. (a) 20 mA/cm$^2$. (b) 30 mA/cm$^2$. (c) 40mA/cm$^2$. (d) 50 mA/cm$^2$. (e) 60 mA/cm$^2$.

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Fig. 7.  (Color online) Relationship between temperature and resistance of five samples.

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Fig. 8.  (Color online) Relationship between resistance of five samples and gas concentration.

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Fig. 9.  (Color online) Relationship between response characteristic and temperature.

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Fig. 10.  (Color online) The sensitivity characteristic curve of the sensor.

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Fig. 11.  (Color online) The hysteresis characteristic curve of the sensor.

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Fig. 12.  (Color online) The temperature characteristic curve of the sensor.

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Fig. 13.  (Color online) The stability characteristic curve of the sensor.

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Table 1.   Relationships among the corrosion current density, aperture, hole depth and poriness.
DownLoad: CSV

Table 2.   The comparison of part performance parameters of humidity sensors.
DownLoad: CSV
[1]
Uhlir A J. Electrolytic shaping of germanium and silicon. Bell Syst Tech, 19956, 35:333
[2]
Canham L T. Silicon quantum wire array fabrication by electrochemical and chemical dissolution of wafers. Appl Phys Lett, 1990, 57(10):1046 doi: 10.1063/1.103561
[3]
Erson R C, Muller R S, Tobias C W. Investigations of porous silicon for vapor sensing. Sens Actuators A, 1990, 23:835 doi: 10.1016/0924-4247(90)87042-H
[4]
Wang Y, Park S, Yeow J T W. A capacitive humidity sensor based on ordered macroporous silicon with thin film surface coating. Sens Actuators B, 2010, 149:136 doi: 10.1016/j.snb.2010.06.010
[5]
Wang W C, Tian Y T, Li K. Capacitive humidity-sensing properties of Zn2SiO4 film grown on silicon nanoporous pillar array. Appl Surf Sci, 2013, 273:372 doi: 10.1016/j.apsusc.2013.02.045
[6]
Li C Q, Hu M, Liang J R, et al. Preparation and performance of thermal sensitive thin film on porous silicon substrate. Nanotechnol Prec Eng, 2008, 6(1):76 http://en.cnki.com.cn/Article_en/CJFDTotal-NMJM200801016.htm
[7]
Zhou J, Wang X H, Yao P J, et al. Analysis and design of an accelerometer fabricated with porous silicon as sacrificial layer. J Semicond, 2003, 24(7):687 http://www.oalib.com/paper/1519596#.WakMRuaffiw
[8]
Ning J, Liu Z L, Liu H Z, et al. Fabrication of silicon condenser microphone using oxidized porous silicon as sacrificial layer. J Semicond, 2003, 24(5):449 http://en.cnki.com.cn/Article_en/CJFDTOTAL-BDTX200305000.htm
[9]
Loni A, Stmons A J, Cox T I, et al. Investigation of the mechanisms controlling the stability of a porous silicon electroluminescent device. Electron Lett, 1995, 31(15):1288 doi: 10.1049/el:19950831
[10]
Tian J C, Yang Z W. The study of electroluminescence of porous Si. Journal of Qingdao University (Natural Science Edition), 2015, 28(2):22 http://en.cnki.com.cn/Article_en/CJFDTotal-QDDD201502005.htm
[11]
Chen W R, Jia Z H, Lv X Y, et al. Fabrication and detection based on porous silicon microcavity microarray. Journal of Xinjiang University (Natural Science Edition), 2016, 33(3):313
[12]
Canham L T, Reeves C L, Loni A, et al. Calcium phosphate nucleation on porous silicon:factors influencing kinetics in acellular simulated body fluids. Thin Solid Films, 1997, 297:304 doi: 10.1016/S0040-6090(96)09534-X
[13]
Sparks D, Smith R, Scheider R, et al. A variable temperature, resonant density sensor made using an improved chip-level vacuum package. Sens Actuators A, 2003, 107(2):119 doi: 10.1016/S0924-4247(03)00350-9
[14]
Sparks D R, Massound-Ansari S, Najafi N. Chip-level vacuum packing of micromachines using nanogetters. IEEE Trans Adv Packing, 2003, 26(3):277 doi: 10.1109/TADVP.2003.817964
[15]
Wajihuddin M, Chester W, Ville K. Introducing porous silicon as a getter using the self aligned maskless process to enhance the quality factor of packaged MEMS resonators. 2011 Joint Conference of the IEEE International Frequency Control and the European Frequency and Time Forum (FCS), 2011: 1
[16]
Lewis S E, DeBober J R, Gole J L, et al. Sensitive, selective, and analytical improvements to a porous silicon gas sensors. Sens Actuators B, 2005, 110(1):54 doi: 10.1016/j.snb.2005.01.014
[17]
Sun F Y, Hu M, Sun P, et al. Study on the electrical and NO2 Gas-sensing properties of porous silicon. Chin J Sens Actuators, 2009, 22(3):316 http://en.cnki.com.cn/Article_en/CJFDTOTAL-CGJS200903004.htm
[18]
Hu X H, Shi Q L, Wei X W, et al. Study on surface adsorption property of porous silicon. J Funct Mater, 2012, 43(21):3006
[19]
Su M Y, Wang J, Yao P J, et al. Study on the DC and AC properties of humidity sensor based on ZrO2:TiO2 composite nanofibers. Chin Sens Actuators, 2011, 24(12):1681 http://en.cnki.com.cn/Article_en/CJFDTotal-CGJS201112006.htm
[20]
Lv R X, Zhou X C, Feng M H, et al. Quartz crystal microbalance coated with urea formaldehyde resin films used as humidity sensor. Chin J Sens Actuators, 2012, 25(2):166 http://en.cnki.com.cn/Article_en/CJFDTOTAL-CGJS201202005.htm
[21]
Gharbi A, Remaki B, Halimaoui A. High-density oxidized porous silicon. Semicond Sci Technol, 2012, 27(10):1 http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2012SeScT..27j5017G
[22]
Shibata H, Ito M, Asakursa M. A digital hygrometer using a polyimide film relative humidity sensor. Instrum Meas, 1996, 45(2):564 doi: 10.1109/19.492788
[23]
Schubert P J, Joseph H A. Polyimide-based capacitive humidity sensor. Electron Devices, 1985, 7:1220
[24]
Xu Y Y, He J T, Li X J, et al. Study on humidity sensing properties of hydrothermally etched iron-passivated porous silicon. J Trans Technol, 2004, 23(3):11 http://en.cnki.com.cn/Article_en/CJFDTOTAL-CGQJ200403003.htm
[25]
Jiang B. Study on fabrication and performance of porous silicon humidity sensor. Master Thesis Heilongjiang University, Harbin, Heilongjiang, China, 2010
[26]
Wang Y, Yeow J T W. Humidity sensor of ordered macro-porous silicon with HfO2 thin-film surface coating. IEEE Sens J, 2009, 9(5):541 doi: 10.1109/JSEN.2009.2016602
[27]
Chen W H, Huang J Q. Study of a capacitive humidity sensor with an on-chip heater. Chin J Sens Actuators, 2015, 28(3):315 http://www.en.cnki.com.cn/Article_en/CJFDTotal-CGJS201503003.htm

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    Received: 21 December 2016 Revised: 10 April 2017 Online: Published: 01 September 2017

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      Article Navigation >  Journal of Semiconductors  > 2017  >  38(9): 094003
      Gaobin Xu, Ye Xi, Xing Chen, Yuanming Ma. Application research on the sensitivity of porous silicon[J]. Journal of Semiconductors, 2017, 38(9): 094003. doi: 10.1088/1674-4926/38/9/094003 G B Xu, Y Xi, X Chen, Y M Ma. Application research on the sensitivity of porous silicon[J]. J. Semicond., 2017, 38(9): 094003. doi: 10.1088/1674-4926/38/9/094003.Export: BibTex EndNote
      Citation:
      Gaobin Xu, Ye Xi, Xing Chen, Yuanming Ma. Application research on the sensitivity of porous silicon[J]. Journal of Semiconductors, 2017, 38(9): 094003. doi: 10.1088/1674-4926/38/9/094003

      G B Xu, Y Xi, X Chen, Y M Ma. Application research on the sensitivity of porous silicon[J]. J. Semicond., 2017, 38(9): 094003. doi: 10.1088/1674-4926/38/9/094003.
      Export: BibTex EndNote
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      Application research on the sensitivity of porous silicon

      doi: 10.1088/1674-4926/38/9/094003

      • Micro Electromechanical System Research Center of Engineering and Technology of Anhui Province, School of Electronic Science & Applied Physics, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei 230009, China

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      • Corresponding author: Gaobin Xu, Email: gbxu@hfut.edu.cn
      • Received Date: 2016-12-21
      • Revised Date: 2017-04-10
      • Published Date: 2017-09-01

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