High Performance InAs and InN Semiconductor Gas Sensors

In this STTR program, Structured Materials Industries, Inc. (SMI) and partners will develop low-cost, planar gas sensors, with high sensitivity and high selectivity. Gas sensors are critical to many existing and emerging applications in defense and homeland security. Present technology gas sensors based on metal oxide films do not have the required sensitivity or selectivity. The technical approach of this STTR effort is based on thin films of the III-V compound semiconductors indium arsenide (InAs) and indium nitride (InN). InAs and InN are unique semiconductor materials with a high surface accumulation of electrons. Therefore, the conductivity of these materials can be extremely sensitive to adsorbed species. Surface functionalization layers can also be designed and added to these gas sensors, to impart high selectivity to specific analytes.