Temperature profile investigation of SnO2 sensors for CO detection enhancement

SnO2 sensors are widely used for the detection of air contaminants such as CO. Nevertheless, their application encounters many problems, first of all the effect of interfering gases. The low selectivity is in fact a well-known problem of these sensors. Moreover, the high operating temperature of metal oxide sensors implies in general high power consumption. In this work we present a study aimed at the selection of an appropriate measurement technique for the detection of CO for indoor applications (lower threshold 100 ppm), also in presence of high concentrations of ethanol (up to 1000 ppm) by using only one sensor. Moreover, the work aims at developing very low size and power consumption devices, that could be battery operated, to be used for the development of portable CO detectors.