Thin Film Deposition and Characterization in Micro- and Nano-Technology

A special issue of Micromachines (ISSN 2072-666X). This special issue belongs to the section "D:Materials and Processing".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2025 | Viewed by 1156

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Department of Engineering and System Science, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu 30013, Taiwan
Interests: synchrotron radiation and neutron beam applications; thin films; magnetism
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Thin film deposition is one of the most important processes in micromachining device fabrication, either before or after lithography. These processes include CVD, PVD, spin coating, electroplating, and other coating methods. The structure and quality of the thin film determines the success of these properties in micromachining device application. For example, the nanoscale defect density significantly affects electron transport and optical phenomena in nanoscale devices. In the film deposition, different thin film growth modes can result in more dislocations and grain boundaries, resulting in mechanical failure in the micromachining device. For optical applications, the efficiency of photonic crystal light transport or microwave transport also depends on the pattern perfection of thin film growth. Furthermore, in an electrochemical cell, ion transport depends on the porosity of the morphology and the roughness of the heterojunction. Material characterization needs to be informed by depth profile information. In addition, lateral nanoscale thin film growth is differs entirely from micro-scale thin film. Thin film materials in micromachining devices use nano-probes or nano-focus beams to probe with high-resolution lateral spatial resolution, involving non-conventional material characterization methods such as high-resolution SEM/TEM, nano-focus X-ray, and Raman scatting.

Prof. Dr. Chih-Hao Lee
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • thin film deposition
  • thin film characterization
  • nanoprobe
  • nanotechnology

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

13 pages, 3688 KiB  
Article
Layer-by-Layer Engineered Zinc–Tin Oxide/Single-Walled Carbon Nanotube (ZTO/SWNT) Hybrid Films for Thin-Film Transistor Applications
by Yong-Jae Kim, Young-Jik Lee, Yeon-Hee Kim, Byung Seong Bae and Woon-Seop Choi
Micromachines 2025, 16(7), 825; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi16070825 - 20 Jul 2025
Viewed by 419
Abstract
Indium-based oxide semiconductors have been commercialized because of their excellent electrical properties, but the high cost, limited availability, and environmental toxicity of indium necessitate the development of alternative materials. Among the most promising candidates, zinc–tin oxide (ZTO) is an indium-free oxide semiconductor with [...] Read more.
Indium-based oxide semiconductors have been commercialized because of their excellent electrical properties, but the high cost, limited availability, and environmental toxicity of indium necessitate the development of alternative materials. Among the most promising candidates, zinc–tin oxide (ZTO) is an indium-free oxide semiconductor with considerable potential, but its relatively low carrier mobility and inherent limitations in thin-film quality demand further performance enhancements. This paper proposes a new approach to overcome these challenges by incorporating single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) as conductive fillers into the ZTO matrix and using a layer-by-layer multiple coating process to construct nanocomposite thin films. As a result, ZTO/SWNTs (0.07 wt.%) thin-film transistors (TFTs) fabricated with three coating cycles exhibited a high saturation mobility of 18.72 cm2/V·s, a threshold voltage of 0.84 V, and a subthreshold swing of 0.51 V/dec. These values represent an approximately four-fold improvement in mobility compared to ZTO TFT, showing that the multiple-coating-based nanocomposite strategy can effectively overcome the fundamental limitations. This study confirms the feasibility of achieving high-performance oxide semiconductor transistors without indium, providing a sustainable pathway for next-generation flexible electronics and display technologies. Full article
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11 pages, 2748 KiB  
Article
Time-Dependent Growth of Sputtered MoS2 Films on ZnO Nanorods for Enhanced NO2 Sensing Performance
by Rishi Ranjan Kumar, Shivam Gupta, Aswin kumar Anbalagan, Afzal Khan, Nyan-Hwa Tai, Chih-Hao Lee and Heh-Nan Lin
Micromachines 2025, 16(6), 659; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi16060659 - 30 May 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 588
Abstract
Molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) has gained attention for its promising gas-sensing capabilities due to its high surface area and tunable electronic properties. In this study, we investigate the time-dependent growth (under constant conditions) of sputtered MoS2 films on ZnO nanorods and [...] Read more.
Molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) has gained attention for its promising gas-sensing capabilities due to its high surface area and tunable electronic properties. In this study, we investigate the time-dependent growth (under constant conditions) of sputtered MoS2 films on ZnO nanorods and their impact on NO2 sensing performance. ZnO nanorods, synthesized via a hydrothermal method, provide a high-surface-area template to enhance charge transport and gas adsorption. Gas-sensing experiments revealed a strong correlation between MoS2 thickness and NO2 response, with the 25-min-sputtered MoS2 film exhibiting the highest response of 20.9%. The synergistic interaction between MoS2 and ZnO nanorods facilitated charge transfer and enhanced adsorption sites for NO2 molecules. These findings emphasize the critical role of time-dependent growth of MoS2 film in modulating gas-sensing performance and provide insights into designing high-sensitivity NO2 sensors at room temperature. This study contributes to the development of hybrid MoS2/ZnO nanostructures for next-generation environmental monitoring applications. Full article
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