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Smart and Multifunctional Thin Film Materials and Applications for Sensors and Actuators

A special issue of Materials (ISSN 1996-1944). This special issue belongs to the section "Smart Materials".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 June 2021) | Viewed by 2566

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Centro de Física, University of Minho, Campus de Gualtar, Braga, Portugal
Interests: electroactive materials; micro- and nano-structured thin films; sensors and actuators; multifunctional coatings

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Smart and multifunctional thin film materials can play multiple roles in specific applications, including structural support, reliability enhancement, filtering, sensing, and actuation. The change from bulk materials to thin films is increasingly being implemented in many different fields, thanks to advances in bottom–up fabrication methods and the use of nanomaterials, including polymers, metal oxides, and III-V and II-VI semiconductors, among others.

Comprehensive knowledge of the chemical, physical, and responsive proprieties of multifunctional materials requires a multidisciplinary approach; therefore, the aim of this Special Issue is devoted to the dissemination of new and original knowledge on all aspects related to micro- and nanostructured thin film materials. This Special Issue is particularly interested in multifunctional thin films that selectively sense physical signals and chemical processes. Articles should be focused on the synthesis, characterization, functionalization, and development of multifunctional thin film materials that may be used to provide new and improved multifunctional applications, including but not restricted to sensing and actuations. Papers may also address new thin film material preparation strategies or systems to enhance the response and detection limits of a given thin film sensor. The scope of this Special Issue encompasses, but is not restricted to, the following list of thin film materials and responses:

  • Nanomaterials;
  • Flexible polymer composites applied to sensing;
  • Gas sensors using 2D materials;
  • Piezoresistive effect;
  • Thermoelectric effect
  • Piezoelectric effect;
  • CNTs, graphene, transition metal dichalcogenides, and metal oxides, among others;
  • Self-cleaning, self-healing;
  • Electro- and thermochromics.

Dr. Armando Ferreira
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • Piezoelectric sensors
  • Piezoresistive sensors
  • Thermoresistive sensors
  • Magnetoelectric sensors
  • Chemical sensors
  • Device/application development

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

12 pages, 3313 KiB  
Article
Magnetic Response Dependence of ZnO Based Thin Films on Ag Doping and Processing Architecture
by João G. S. Santos, Marcio A. Correa, Armando Ferreira, Bruno R. Carvalho, Rodolfo B. da Silva, Felipe Bohn, Senendxu Lanceiros-Méndez and Filipe Vaz
Materials 2020, 13(13), 2907; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma13132907 - 29 Jun 2020
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 1918
Abstract
Multifunctional and multiresponsive thin films are playing an increasing role in modern technology. This work reports a study on the magnetic properties of ZnO and Ag-doped ZnO semiconducting films prepared with a zigzag-like columnar architecture and their correlation with the processing conditions. The [...] Read more.
Multifunctional and multiresponsive thin films are playing an increasing role in modern technology. This work reports a study on the magnetic properties of ZnO and Ag-doped ZnO semiconducting films prepared with a zigzag-like columnar architecture and their correlation with the processing conditions. The films were grown through Glancing Angle Deposition (GLAD) co-sputtering technique to improve the induced ferromagnetism at room temperature. Structural and morphological characterizations have been performed and correlated with the paramagnetic resonance measurements, which demonstrate the existence of vacancies in both as-cast and annealed films. The magnetic measurements reveal changes in the magnetic order of both ZnO and Ag-doped ZnO films with increasing temperature, showing an evolution from a paramagnetic (at low temperature) to a diamagnetic behavior (at room temperature). Further, the room temperature magnetic properties indicate a ferromagnetic order even for the un-doped ZnO film. The results open new perspectives for the development of multifunctional ZnO semiconductors, the GLAD co-sputtering technique enables the control of the magnetic response, even in the un-doped semiconductor materials. Full article
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