title: QCM operating in threshold mode as a gas sensor.
abstract: Application of the threshold mode allowed us to use the quartz resonator (quartz crystal microbalance, QCM) as a highly sensitive gas sensor measuring the forces of the rupture of adsorbed gas components from the resonator surface oscillating with increasing amplitude. This procedure allows one to analyze different gas components using the same surface modification, just varying the rupture threshold by varying the amplitude of shear oscillations. The sensitivity of the threshold measurements is 2 to 3 orders of magnitude higher than for the gravimetric procedure. It is demonstrated that the QCM operating as an active element can be used as a gas sensor. This procedure seems to be promising in investigating the reactivity of the surface or the interactions of gaseous components with the surface containing various functional groups, thus contributing to the surface chemistry.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Semiconductor Physics SB RAS, Novosibirsk, Russia. fdultsev@thermo.isp.nsc.ru
authors.forename: Fedor N
authors.initials: FN
authors.lastname: Dultsev
authors.forename: Eugeny A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Kolosovsky