FORMATION OF METAL NANOWIRES FOR USE AS VARIABLE-RANGE HYDROGEN SENSORS

摘要

The present invention provides for variable-range hydrogen sensors (502) and methods for making same. Such variable-range hydrogen sensors (502) comprise a series of fabricated Pd-Ag (palladium-silver) nanowires (106, 301) - each wire of the series having a different Ag to Pd ratio-with nanobreakjunctions (302) in them and wherein the nanowires (106, 301) have predefined dimensions and orientation. When the nanowires (106, 301) are. exposed to H2, their lattace swells when the H2 concentration reaches a threshold value (unique to that particular ratio of Pd to Ag). This causes the nanobreakjunctions (302) to close leading to a 6-8 orders of magnitude decrease in the resistance along the length of the wire and providing a sensing mechanism for a range of hydrogen concentrations.