1：Experimental Design and Method Selection:

The study involves fabricating Au/ZnO Schottky diodes using RF sputtering and characterizing their electrical and hydrogen sensing properties. Thermionic emission theory is applied for analysis.

2：Sample Selection and Data Sources:

ZnO thin films are grown on n-silicon substrates (thickness 425 μm, resistivity 1-10 ?) using RF sputtering with a

3：99% pure ZnO target. List of Experimental Equipment and Materials:

Equipment includes Tecport sputtering unit, Agilent B1500A semiconductor device analyzer, Keithley 237 source measure unit, mass flow controller, static mixer, heater, and data acquisition system. Materials include n-silicon substrate, ZnO target, gold, aluminum, hydrofluoric acid, and gases (hydrogen, synthetic air).

4：Experimental Procedures and Operational Workflow:

Substrate cleaning with RCA process and HF dip, ZnO film deposition via RF sputtering (parameters: base pressure

5：5x10^-6 Torr, deposition pressure 8x10^-2 Torr, target-substrate distance 11 cm, RF power 100 W, Ar flow rate 15 SCCM), Au Schottky contact deposition using shadow mask, Al ohmic contact formation via e-beam evaporation, annealing at 450°C in nitrogen, I-V and C-V measurements at temperatures 25-200°C, hydrogen exposure at concentrations 50-1000 ppm, and data recording. Data Analysis Methods:

Analysis includes calculating ideality factor, barrier height, sensitivity using equations from thermionic emission theory, and kinetic modeling of hydrogen adsorption.