Electrical and Sensor Properties of Zinc Oxide–Based Films Prepared by the Polymer Precursor Method

Zinc oxide is a promising candidate for use as a sensitive layer for chemiresistive gas sensors, which has many advantages due to its physical and electrical properties, namely chemical and thermal stability, low cost, etc. This work aims to clarify the possibility of controlling the electrical, structural, and photocatalytic properties of zinc oxide films by modification with platinum during the synthesis process using a polymer precursor method, as well as by manufacturing a composite of zinc and tin oxides. Morphological, optical, electrical, and sensor properties were investigated for the obtained films. All synthesized films were characterized by a thickness of 250–380 nm and had inherent semiconductor properties with a band gap within 3.1–3.7 eV and a resistivity of 1.98 × 10 4 to 2.52 × 10 5 Ω cm. Sensoric properties of the synthesized films were tested as well, with some films demonstrating a response of 4.26 to H 2 and 9.15 to NO 2 at room temperature and under photoactivation by UV radiation.