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Chapter 4
W
hen scientists were doing research work re-
lated to semiconductor p-n junctions,1 they
discovered that these junctions were sensitive
to environmental background gases.
At that time, such a behavior was considered a
problem. This problem, however, was solved by en-
capsulating the semiconductor chip so that it was no
longer exposed to the outside environment. Subse-
quently, unsuccessful attempts were made to utilize
the sensitivity of the semiconductor junction as a gas
detection device.
It wasn’t until 1968 that Mr. N. Taguchi marketed Fig. 1 A solid-state sensor
a simple semiconductor, or a solid-state sensor, for the used for detecting more than a
detection of hydrocarbons in LEL combustible ranges. hundred toxic gases.
The intention was to provide an alternative to the
1
popular catalytic bead sensor, which suffered from The positive and negative junctions
several problems, including loss of sensitivity with time in a semiconductor.
due to poisoning and burning out when exposed to
high gas concentrations.
In 1972, International Sensor Technology (IST) in
Irvine, California introduced a solid-state sensor for
the detection of hydrogen sulfide in a range of 0-10
ppm. A few years later, IST developed solid-state sen-
sors for the detection of more than 100 different haz-
ardous gases at low ppm levels. This was a significant
development, since OSHA was being formed at about
47
Hazardous Gas Monitors
Principle of Operation
A solid-state sensor consists of one or more metal
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Chapter 4 Solid-State Gas Sensors
49
Hazardous Gas Monitors
Characteristics
Silicon Substrate Solid-state sensors are among the
Heater Resistor most versatile of all sensors, as they de-
tect a wide variety of gases, and can be
Fig. 3 Chip-type Sensor
used in many different applications. Dif-
ferent response characteristics are achieved by vary-
ing the semiconductor materials, processing tech-
niques, and sensor operating temperature.
Among the unique attributes of the solid-state sen-
sor are the abilities of the sensor to detect both low
ppm levels of gases, as well as high combustible levels.
Longevity. The main strength of the solid-state
sensor is its long life expectancy, as the sensor typi-
cally lasts 10 years or more in clean applications. This
is a major advantage compared to other sensor types,
such as catalytic bead or electrochemical sensors,
which typically last only one to two years.
However, while solid-state sensors have a longer
life expectancy, they are also more susceptible to in-
terference gases than the other types of sensors. Thus,
in applications where other background gases are
present, solid-state sensors may trigger false alarms.
In certain instances, the interferences from other
gases are minimized by using appropriate filtering ma-
terials that absorb all other gases except the gas to be
detected.
For example, a solid-state sensor for monitoring
carbon monoxide and hydrogen can be equipped with
a charcoal filter which eliminates the majority of in-
terfering gases. This way the sensor performs very well
and becomes very selective for those two gases.
Versatility. The versatility of the solid-state sensor
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Chapter 4 Solid-State Gas Sensors
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Hazardous Gas Monitors
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Chapter 4 Solid-State Gas Sensors
53