Hydrogen gas sensor based on ultra-thin palladium film grown on fibre-textured aluminium nitride buffer layer

2015 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 25870772
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Physical properties of metals/Metal-base materials; Thin film/Surface and interfacial physical properties
• Research Institution: Tokyo Institute of Technology (2015); Tokyo University of Science (2013-2014)
• Principal Investigator: HARUMOTO Takashi 東京工業大学, 理工学研究科, 助教 (80632611)
• Project Period (FY): 2013-04-01 – 2016-03-31
• Keywords: 水素 / パラジウム / 窒化アルミニウム / エピタキシャル成長 / 極薄膜 / 界面物性 / 配向性 / 格子ひずみ

Outline of Final Research Achievements

A hydrogen gas sensor based on an ultra-thin palladium film was fabricated using a fibre-textured aluminium nitride buffer layer. Since the film was prepared using the continuous sputter deposition, the local-epitaxial growth at the interface is enhanced and the film is highly (111) textured. The sensor works at room temperature and exhibits high resistance against hydrogen absorption/desorption processes. The in-situ X-ray diffraction measurement during hydrogen absorption revealed the large expansion along the film normal direction and the relatively small expansion along the in-plane direction. This selective expansion suppresses both the crystallinity degradation of the palladium lattice and the formation of palladium hydride, resulting in the enhanced sensing properties.

Free Research Field

金属物性学　回折結晶学