ZnO Surface Acoustic Wave Sensor for the Enhanced Detection of DMMP

This article reports the development of ZnO coated one port Surface Acoustic Wave (SAW) resonators for the detection of DMMP (dimethyl methyl phosphonate), a simulant of chemical warfare agent Sarin at room temperature. For enhanced sensitivity high frequency SAW devices (433Mhz) were used. Frequency shift with DMMP exposure was found to increase with increase in thickness of ZnO film from 20 to 80 nm with maximum shift of 52 kHz. The cross sensitivity of the sensor with commonly available volatile organic compounds (VOCs), gases and water vapors has been performed and was found that the sensitivity towards other interferants is very less as compared to that of DMMP vapors. The sensing mechanism has been explained in detail. It has been shown that there was no significant change in the resistance of the film with exposure to DMMP vapors and hence the contribution of the acoustoelectric interaction is negligible. Further mass loading was not dominant. The negative differential frequency shifts proved that change in elasticity of the film with exposure to DMMP vapors is the dominant sensing mechanism.