Mn-doped tin oxide based sensor for selective ethanol detection

Solid-state gas sensors are being highly sought out in recent years for forensic and medical applications. Throughout the years, the transduction used for these sensors has utilized both chemical composition and morphological properties. Taking Breath Alcohol Concentration (BrAC) through ethanol sensing is considered a fast and reliable way of identifying drunken drivers. Solid-state sensors allow the development of compact, cheap, and much faster apparatuses for the job. Although Tin-oxide has a sensitive response to ethanol, acetone also has almost the same sensitivity. This cross-sensitivity may cause difficulties in human breath analysis because acetone is a common component in human breath, and diabetic patients are prone to have much higher acetone concentrations than the norm. Diabetes being a common health issue today, this research solved the difficulty mentioned above, preventing false interpretations and false alarms. In this study, the effect of Manganese doping of Tin-oxide is discussed with regard to its sensitivity and cross-sensitivity as an ethanol sensor. Furthermore, design aspects of such a thin solid-state sensor with the best operating temperature, optimum Mn concentration, and choice of substrate materials to prevent undesirable thermal stresses are discussed.