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Thin-Film Materials and Nanostructure Devices Applicable for Sensing
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Thin-Film Materials and Nanostructure Devices Applicable for Sensing

A special issue of Sensors (ISSN 1424-8220). This special issue belongs to the section "Sensor Materials".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 June 2021) | Viewed by 13365

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Mohammad Nur-E-Alam

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Electron Science Research Institute, School of Science, Edith Cowan University, Joondalup 6027, WA, Australia
Interests: magneto-photonic/plasmonic crystals; thin film materials and coatings; micro/nano fabrication process; optical microstructures; energy harvesting clear glazing windows; surface engineering for efficiency enhancement of PV systems
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Mikhail Vasiliev

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Electron Science Research Institute, School of Science, Edith Cowan University, 270 Joondalup Drive, Joondalup, WA 6027, Australia
Interests: materials engineering; optical physics; solar energy; thin-film coatings; luminescent materials; building integrated photovoltaics; glazing system design; energy efficiency in buildings
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Mohsin Ali Badshah

E-Mail Website
Co-Guest Editor
Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA
Interests: nano/micromanufacturing; PVD; nanotechnology; thin-film materials and coatings; surface engineering; sensing devices
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue is open to contributions in the field of thin-film materials and nanostructures suitable for various practical applications, ranging from sensing, energy generation, imaging, biomedicine, and decorative coatings to protective coatings. With the boost of many industrial applications, the science and technology of thin-film materials has undergone revolutionary developments and even today continues to be recognized globally as a frontier area of research and development work. Establishing a set of processes for the manufacture and characterization of advanced nano-engineered material systems is important for several existing and frontier technologies. Thin-film advanced material systems as well as the customized nanofabrication process sequences will enable the demonstration of next-generation innovative components suitable for the development of cost-effective and forward-looking nanostructures and devices. In addition, materials’ stability and functionality together with their availability and production costs bring the necessity of diverse research works in this field. Therefore, we welcome all original research contributions, short communications, conceptual and review-type articles both on the theoretical and experimental aspects in the fields of thin-film materials and nanostructures, including the development of advanced materials, methods, properties, devices, and their applications. This Special Issue will cover the following, although it is not limited strictly to this list:

  • Advanced thin-film materials synthesis and characterization;
  • Development of thin-film-based devices and sensors;
  • Thin-film materials for photonic, magnetophotonic, and magnetoplasmonic sensors;
  • Development and characterization of thin-film micro-/nanostructures for sensing;
  • Thin-film materials growth mechanisms and the effects of process parameters on sensing properties;
  • Thin-film materials and surface engineering to enhance sensing properties;
  • Design and development of multilayer structures and devices;
  • Material stability improvements and light absorption enhancement;
  • Thin-film coatings for color-controlled and transparent heat-regulating systems;
  • Thin-film materials for advanced photovoltaics (PV) cells.

Dr. Mohammad Nur E Alam
Dr. Mikhail Vasiliev
Dr. Mohsin Ali Badshah
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sensors is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • Sensing
  • Biosensing
  • Plasmonic sensors
  • RI sensors
  • Advanced optical coatings
  • Material surface modification
  • Power generation

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

7 pages, 2221 KiB  
Communication
Fabrication of Weak C-Axis Preferred AlN Thin Film for Temperature Measurement
by Ling Dong, Yang Li, Jingwen Lv, Hongchuan Jiang and Wanli Zhang
Sensors 2021, 21(16), 5345; https://doi.org/10.3390/s21165345 - 08 Aug 2021
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1665
Abstract
A weak C-axis preferred AlN thin film with a lot of defects was fabricated for temperature measurement. It was found that the (002) diffraction peak of the thin film increased monotonously with the increase in annealing temperature and annealing time. This phenomenon is [...] Read more.
A weak C-axis preferred AlN thin film with a lot of defects was fabricated for temperature measurement. It was found that the (002) diffraction peak of the thin film increased monotonously with the increase in annealing temperature and annealing time. This phenomenon is ascribed to the evolution of defects in the lattice of the AlN film. Therefore, the relationship between defects and annealing can be expressed by the offset of (002) diffraction peak, which can be used for temperature measurement. Furthermore, a temperature interpretation algorithm Equation based on the lattice parameter (2θ), annealing temperature and annealing time was established, and a temperature interpretation software was built with MATLAB. Visual temperature interpretation is realized by the software, and the relative error is less than 7%. This study is of great significance for promoting the accurate temperature measurement on the surface of high temperature component. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Thin-Film Materials and Nanostructure Devices Applicable for Sensing)
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11 pages, 3223 KiB  
Communication
Sensing Organophosphorus Compounds with SWCNT Films
by Mika Sahlman, Mari Lundström and Dawid Janas
Sensors 2021, 21(14), 4915; https://doi.org/10.3390/s21144915 - 19 Jul 2021
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1563
Abstract
Promising electrical properties of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) open a spectrum of applications for this material. As the SWCNT electronic characteristics respond well to the presence of various analytes, this makes them highly sensitive sensors. In this contribution, selected organophosphorus compounds were detected [...] Read more.
Promising electrical properties of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) open a spectrum of applications for this material. As the SWCNT electronic characteristics respond well to the presence of various analytes, this makes them highly sensitive sensors. In this contribution, selected organophosphorus compounds were detected by studying their impact on the electronic properties of the nanocarbon network. The goal was to untangle the n-doping mechanism behind the beneficial effect of organic phosphine derivatives on the electrical conductivity of SWCNT networks. The highest sensitivity was obtained in the case of the application of 1,6-Bis(diphenylphoshpino)hexane. Consequently, free-standing SWCNT films experienced a four-fold improvement to the electrical conductivity from 272 ± 21 to 1010 ± 44 S/cm and an order of magnitude increase in the power factor. This was ascribed to the beneficial action of electron-rich phenyl moieties linked with a long alkyl chain, making the dopant interact well with SWCNTs. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Thin-Film Materials and Nanostructure Devices Applicable for Sensing)
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10 pages, 2290 KiB  
Communication
Sensing of Surface and Bulk Refractive Index Using Magnetophotonic Crystal with Hybrid Magneto-Optical Response
by Daria Ignatyeva, Pavel Kapralov, Polina Golovko, Polina Shilina, Anastasiya Khramova, Sergey Sekatskii, Mohammad Nur-E-Alam, Kamal Alameh, Mikhail Vasiliev, Andrey Kalish and Vladimir Belotelov
Sensors 2021, 21(6), 1984; https://doi.org/10.3390/s21061984 - 11 Mar 2021
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2566
Abstract
We propose an all-dielectric magneto-photonic crystal with a hybrid magneto-optical response that allows for the simultaneous measurements of the surface and bulk refractive index of the analyzed substance. The approach is based on two different spectral features of the magneto-optical response corresponding to [...] Read more.
We propose an all-dielectric magneto-photonic crystal with a hybrid magneto-optical response that allows for the simultaneous measurements of the surface and bulk refractive index of the analyzed substance. The approach is based on two different spectral features of the magneto-optical response corresponding to the resonances in p- and s-polarizations of the incident light. Angular spectra of p-polarized light have a step-like behavior near the total internal reflection angle which position is sensitive to the bulk refractive index. S-polarized light excites the TE-polarized optical Tamm surface mode localized in a submicron region near the photonic crystal surface and is sensitive to the refractive index of the near-surface analyte. We propose to measure a hybrid magneto-optical intensity modulation of p-polarized light obtained by switching the magnetic field between the transverse and polar configurations. The transversal component of the external magnetic field is responsible for the magneto-optical resonance near total internal reflection conditions, and the polar component reveals the resonance of the Tamm surface mode. Therefore, both surface- and bulk-associated features are present in the magneto-optical spectra of the p-polarized light. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Thin-Film Materials and Nanostructure Devices Applicable for Sensing)
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16 pages, 3727 KiB  
Article
Titanium Nitride Thin Film Based Low-Redox-Interference Potentiometric pH Sensing Electrodes
by Shimrith Paul Shylendra, Wade Lonsdale, Magdalena Wajrak, Mohammad Nur-E-Alam and Kamal Alameh
Sensors 2021, 21(1), 42; https://doi.org/10.3390/s21010042 - 23 Dec 2020
Cited by 19 | Viewed by 3158
Abstract
In this work, a solid-state potentiometric pH sensor is designed by incorporating a thin film of Radio Frequency Magnetron Sputtered (RFMS) Titanium Nitride (TiN) working electrode and a commercial Ag|AgCl|KCl double junction reference electrode. The sensor shows a linear pH slope of −59.1 [...] Read more.
In this work, a solid-state potentiometric pH sensor is designed by incorporating a thin film of Radio Frequency Magnetron Sputtered (RFMS) Titanium Nitride (TiN) working electrode and a commercial Ag|AgCl|KCl double junction reference electrode. The sensor shows a linear pH slope of −59.1 mV/pH, R2 = 0.9997, a hysteresis as low as 1.2 mV, and drift below 3.9 mV/h. In addition, the redox interference performance of TiN electrodes is compared with that of Iridium Oxide (IrO2) counterparts. Experimental results show −32 mV potential shift (E0 value) in 1 mM ascorbic acid (reducing agent) for TiN electrodes, and this is significantly lower than the −114 mV potential shift of IrO2 electrodes with sub-Nernstian sensitivity. These results are most encouraging and pave the way towards the development of miniaturized, cost-effective, and robust pH sensors for difficult matrices, such as wine and fresh orange juice. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Thin-Film Materials and Nanostructure Devices Applicable for Sensing)
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Graphical abstract

17 pages, 3054 KiB  
Article
Impact of Surface Chemistry and Doping Concentrations on Biofunctionalization of GaN/Ga‒In‒N Quantum Wells
by Nilanjon Naskar, Martin F. Schneidereit, Florian Huber, Sabyasachi Chakrabortty, Lothar Veith, Markus Mezger, Lutz Kirste, Theo Fuchs, Thomas Diemant, Tanja Weil, R. Jürgen Behm, Klaus Thonke and Ferdinand Scholz
Sensors 2020, 20(15), 4179; https://doi.org/10.3390/s20154179 - 28 Jul 2020
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 3438
Abstract
The development of sensitive biosensors, such as gallium nitride (GaN)-based quantum wells, transistors, etc., often makes it necessary to functionalize GaN surfaces with small molecules or even biomolecules, such as proteins. As a first step in surface functionalization, we have investigated silane adsorption, [...] Read more.
The development of sensitive biosensors, such as gallium nitride (GaN)-based quantum wells, transistors, etc., often makes it necessary to functionalize GaN surfaces with small molecules or even biomolecules, such as proteins. As a first step in surface functionalization, we have investigated silane adsorption, as well as the formation of very thin silane layers. In the next step, the immobilization of the tetrameric protein streptavidin (as well as the attachment of chemically modified iron transport protein ferritin (ferritin-biotin-rhodamine complex)) was realized on these films. The degree of functionalization of the GaN surfaces was determined by fluorescence measurements with fluorescent-labeled proteins; silane film thickness and surface roughness were estimated, and also other surface sensitive techniques were applied. The formation of a monolayer consisting of adsorbed organosilanes was accomplished on Mg-doped GaN surfaces, and also functionalization with proteins was achieved. We found that very high Mg doping reduced the amount of surface functionalized proteins. Most likely, this finding was a consequence of the lower concentration of ionizable Mg atoms in highly Mg-doped layers as a consequence of self-compensation effects. In summary, we could demonstrate the necessity of Mg doping for achieving reasonable bio-functionalization of GaN surfaces. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Thin-Film Materials and Nanostructure Devices Applicable for Sensing)
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