Vapor detection performance of vertically aligned, ordered arrays of silicon nanowires with a porous electrode

Vertically aligned, ordered arrays of silicon nanowires capped with a porous top electrode are used to detect gas phase ammonia and nitrogen dioxide in humidified air. The sensors had very fast response times and large signal-to-noise ratios. Calibration curves were created using both an initial slope method and a fixed-time point method. The initial-slope method had a power law dependence that correlates well with concentration, demonstrating a viable alternative for eventual quantitative vapor detection and enabling shorter sampling and regeneration times.