Room temperature hydrogen gas sensing characteristics of porous quaternary AlInGaN film prepared via UV-assisted photo-electrochemical etching

•Influence of pores or defects in H2 sensing behavior of porous AlInGaN samples.•Vacancy formation influenced the sensitivity of porous AlInGaN towards H2 gas.•Adsorption and desorption of H2 gas were enhanced with respect to pore density.•4% KOH etched sample possessed the highest sensitivity, the shortest tres and trec.

This paper reports room temperature hydrogen gas sensing characteristics of porous quaternary AlInGaN prepared via ultraviolet-assisted photo-electrochemical etching in 1–4% diluted potassium hydroxide (KOH) solution. The highest sensitivity (S), the lowest response time and recovery time were obtained by the 4% KOH etched sample, owing to good adsorption and desorption of adsorbed H atoms over the largest surface area provided by the highest pore density. An increase in forward bias to 2.0 V has enhanced S (98.0%) of the sample while a relatively low bias of 0.5 V was sufficient to yield S of 81.9% in the sample.

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