Fabrication, Characterization, and Application of CuO Nano Wires as Electrode for Ammonia Sensing in Aqueous Environment Using Extended Gate-FET

Abstract

This article draws attention to monitoring water-based diseases of human beings and other aquatic animals caused by a high level of ammonia present in water. A flexible sensor for measuring the level of ammonia in water or aqueous solution has been fabricated and tested. Most of the conventional sensors are either not stable or suitable for the measurement of underwater ammonia. Because of this, we intend to make a modest attempt to propose a low-cost, foldable, stable, and reliable Copper oxide (CuO) nanowire electrode-based ammonia sensitive extended gate field-effect transistor (EG-FET). In this article, CuO nanowire has been synthesized at low temperatures for realizing an extended gate for field-effect-transistor (FET). The device has been characterized for aqueous ammonia sensing at different levels of concentrations of ammonia. The sensor exhibits very high linearity [>99%] along with high sensitivity (>65 [mV]/[mg/L] and 1.62μA1/2/[mg/L]). The sensor performance has also been studied under the bending condition showing an excellent sensing performance and linearity without any performance degradation. The various characterizations have been done to validate the crystalline, uniform, and dense formation of CuO nanowires using a high-resolution scanning electron microscope (SEM) and tunnel microscope TEM. The device is well suited to measure the NH3 content (from 1.5 mg/L (or ppm) to 7.5 mg/L) in an aqueous solution. © 2001-2012 IEEE.