A novel humidity sensor based on alumina nanowire films

Alumina nanowire (ANW) films were prepared by etching porous anodic aluminium oxide (AAO), and then humidity sensors with coplanar interdigitated electrodes based on ANWs were fabricated. The ANWs not only present tremendous surface area for water molecule adsorption but also provide efficient sites for attracting water molecules at low relative humidity (RH) levels. The sensors based on the particular morphology of ANWs with large open voids show high sensitivity and small hysteresis, and have fast response and recovery time to humidity. The capacitance rises slowly at a lower RH and increases rapidly after 70% RH, which is associated with the humidity mechanism of chemisorption at lower RH and physisorption at higher RH levels. The impendence analysis suggests that the ANWs are the main factor for sensing humidity, and AAO also contributes to humidity sensing. This study demonstrates that ANWs have promising applications in humidity monitoring.