Dielectric excitation of Metal Oxide Semiconductor sensors: an exploratory performances analysis

Metal Oxide Semiconductor (MOX) sensors are among the most widespread devices in chemical sensing, but their use is hindered due to several limitations, including cross-sensitivity to temperature and humidity. Few studies suggested that the dielectric excitation readout of MOX sensors can increase the linearity and reduce cross-sensitivity. A bench test on two commercially available MOX sensors was designed and used to evaluate the dielectric excitation readout performances at different concentrations of acetone and ethanol when temperature and humidity were changed. Results show that not only both the real and imaginary parts of the sensors’ electrical impedance are strongly frequency dependent, but also the dynamics of the sensors’ response. Furthermore, the calculation of cross-sensitivity shows that there are regions of the spectra that allow for a reduction of cross-sensitivity to environmental interferences ranging from 2 to 10 times between 50 and 100 KHz.