Ag/PEPC/NiPc/ZnO/Ag thin film capacitive and resistive humidity sensors

A thin film of blended poly-N-epoxypropylcarbazole (PEPC) (25 wt.%),nickel phthalocyanine (NiPc) (50 wt.%) and ZnO nano-powder (25 wt.%) in benzene (5 wt.%) was spin-coated on a glass substrate with silver electrodes to produce a surface-type Ag/PEPC/NiPc/ZnO/Ag capacitive and resistive sensor.Sensors with two different PEPC/NiPc/ZnO film thicknesses (330 and 400 nm) were fabricated and compared.The effects of humidity on capacitance and resistance of the Ag/PEPC/NiPc/ZnO/Ag sensors were investigated at two frequencies of the applied voltage:120 Hz and 1 kHz.It was observed that at 120 Hz under humidity of up to 95% RH the capacitance of the sensors increased by 540 times and resistance decreased by 450 times with respect to humidity conditions of 50% RH.It was found that the sensor with a thinner semiconducting film (330 nm) was more sensitive than the sensor with a thicker film (400 nm).The sensitivity was improved when the sensor was used at a lower frequency as compared with a high frequency.It is assumed that the humidity response of the sensors is associated with absorption of water vapors and doping of water molecules in the semiconductor blend layer.This had been proven by simulation of the capacitance-humidity relationship.