Screen printed carbon sensors for atomic oxygen measurement

Carbon-based atomic oxygen actinometers sensors were produced by screen-printing high and low carbon inks onto an alumina substrate between thick film gold tracks and palladium contacts. The performance of the sensors was evaluated by exposure to atomic oxygen in a plasma asher and a pulsed laser facility (ATOX) and compared with that of evaporated and sputtered thin film carbon sensors. All three types of sensor exhibited linear resistance increase with fluence and demonstrated sensitivity to flux change. The lower erosion yield and greater thickness makes the screen-printed sensors more suitable for high fluence/long duration missions.