Submit to Micromachines Review for Micromachines Propose a Special Issue

Journal Menu

Journal Browser

Thin Film Microelectronic Devices and Circuits

Special Issue Editors
Special Issue Information
Keywords
Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue
Related Special Issues
Published Papers

A special issue of Micromachines (ISSN 2072-666X). This special issue belongs to the section "D1: Semiconductor Devices".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 December 2024) | Viewed by 14112

Printed Edition Available!
A printed edition of this Special Issue is available here.

Special Issue Thin Film Microelectronic Devices and Circuits book cover image

Share This Special Issue

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Chengyuan Dong

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

Department of Electronic Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
Interests: thin film electronic devices; active addressing technologies for flat panel displays (FPDs) and nonvolatile memories (NVMs)
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Thin film microelectronic devices and circuits have been attracting increasingly more attention because they can be used in many fields of industry, such as semiconductor displays, energy devices, intelligent sensors, and semiconductor memory. In addition, they may be integrated into conventional CMOS integrated circuits and systems, especially DRAM and flash memory. From a fabrication point of view, thin film microelectronic devices and circuits can be prepared on not only rigid (including glass, wafer, etc.) but also flexible substrates (including polymer, paper, etc.), which make them potentially suitable for use in some quickly advancing fields, such as the internet of things and medical electronics. This Special Issue plans to give an overview of the most recent advances in thin film microelectronic devices and circuits in the above mentioned fields. This Special Issue aims to provide selected contributions to advances in the physics, processing, design, characterization, and applications of novel thin film microelectronic devices and circuits.

Potential topics include, but are not limited to, the following:

Thin film transistors;
Thin film solar cells;
Thin film sensors;
Thin film memory;
Physics of novel devices;
Process development of novel devices;
Characterization of novel thin films, devices, and circuits;
Design of novel thin film devices and circuits;
Pixel circuits for semiconductor displays, sensors, and memory;
Active-matrix addressing methods for displays, sensors, and memory;
Applications of thin film devices and circuits;
System on Glass (SOG) technologies including Gate on Array (GOA) circuits;
Integration of thin film devices and CMOS circuits;
Hybrid CMOS/TFT process development for semiconductor memory;
Hybrid CMOS/TFT circuit design for DRAM and flash memory.

Dr. Chengyuan Dong
Guest Editor

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. Micromachines is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly 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 2100 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

thin film electronic devices
thin film transistors
thin film solar cells
thin film sensors
thin film memory
stability
flexibility
thin film circuits
pixel circuits
active-matrix addressing
systems on glass
CMOS technology
semiconductor displays
intelligent sensors
semiconductor memory

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Related Special Issues

Recent Advances in Thin Film Electronic Devices in Micromachines (12 articles)
Recent Advances in Thin Film Electronic Devices and Circuits in Micromachines (6 articles)
Thin Film Microelectronic Devices and Circuits, 2nd Edition in Micromachines

Published Papers (11 papers)

Download All Papers

Order results

Result details

Show export options Show export options

Select all

Export citation of selected articles as:

Editorial

Jump to: Research

4 pages, 153 KiB

Open AccessEditorial

Editorial for the Special Issue on Thin Film Microelectronic Devices and Circuits

by Chengyuan Dong

Micromachines 2025, 16(2), 167; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi16020167 - 30 Jan 2025

Viewed by 656

Abstract

Thin film microelectronic devices and circuits (TFMDCs), including thin film transistors (TFTs), thin film solar cells (TFSCs), thin film sensors (TFSs), thin film memories (TFMs), etc [...] Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Thin Film Microelectronic Devices and Circuits)

Research

Jump to: Editorial

13 pages, 6926 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Annealing Study on Praseodymium-Doped Indium Zinc Oxide Thin-Film Transistors and Fabrication of Flexible Devices

by Zhenyu Wu, Honglong Ning, Han Li, Xiaoqin Wei, Dongxiang Luo, Dong Yuan, Zhihao Liang, Guoping Su, Rihui Yao and Junbiao Peng

Micromachines 2025, 16(1), 17; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi16010017 - 26 Dec 2024

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 965

Abstract

The praseodymium-doped indium zinc oxide (PrIZO) thin-film transistor (TFT) is promising for applications in flat-panel displays, due to its high carrier mobility and stability. Nevertheless, there are few studies on the mechanism of annealing on PrIZO films and the fabrication of flexible devices. In this work, we first optimized the annealing-process parameters on the glass substrate. As the annealing temperature rises, the film tends to be denser and obtains a lower surface roughness, a narrower optical-band gap and less oxygen-vacancy content. However, the μ-PCD test shows the 250 °C-annealed film obtains the least defects. And the PrIZO TFT annealed at 250 °C exhibited a desired performance with a saturation mobility (μ_sat) of 14.26 cm²·V⁻¹·s⁻¹, a subthreshold swing (SS) of 0.14 V·dec⁻¹, an interface trap density (D_it) of 3.17 × 10¹¹, an I_on/I_off ratio of 1.83 × 10⁸ and a threshold voltage (Vth) of −1.15 V. The flexible devices were prepared using the optimized parameters on the Polyimide (PI) substrate and subjected to static bending tests. After bending at a radius of 5 mm, the mobility of devices decreases slightly from 12.48 to 10.87 cm²·V⁻¹·s⁻¹, demonstrating the great potential of PrIZO for flexible displays. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Thin Film Microelectronic Devices and Circuits)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

14 pages, 5762 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Application of Solution-Processed High-Entropy Metal Oxide Dielectric Layers with High Dielectric Constant and Wide Bandgap in Thin-Film Transistors

by Jun Liu, Xin Xiong, Han Li, Xiangchen Huang, Yajun Wang, Yifa Sheng, Zhihao Liang, Rihui Yao, Honglong Ning and Xiaoqin Wei

Micromachines 2024, 15(12), 1465; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi15121465 - 30 Nov 2024

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1525

Abstract

High-k metal oxides are gradually replacing the traditional SiO₂ dielectric layer in the new generation of electronic devices. In this paper, we report the production of five-element high entropy metal oxides (HEMOs) dielectric films by solution method and analyzed the role of each metal oxide in the system by characterizing the film properties. On this basis, we found optimal combination of (AlGaTiYZr)O_x with the best dielectric properties, exhibiting a low leakage current of 1.2 × 10⁻⁸ A/cm² @1 MV/cm and a high dielectric constant, while the film’s visible transmittance is more than 90%. Based on the results of factor analysis, we increased the dielectric constant up to 52.74 by increasing the proportion of TiO₂ in the HEMOs and maintained a large optical bandgap (>5 eV). We prepared thin film transistors (TFTs) based on an (AlGaTiYZr)O_x dielectric layer and an InGaZnO_x (IGZO) active layer, and the devices exhibit a mobility of 18.2 cm²/Vs, a threshold voltage (V_th) of −0.203 V, and an subthreshold swing (SS) of 0.288 V/dec, along with a minimal hysteresis, which suggests a good prospect of applying HEMOs to TFTs. It can be seen that the HEMOs dielectric films prepared based on the solution method can combine the advantages of various high-k dielectrics to obtain better film properties. Moreover, HEMOs dielectric films have the advantages of simple processing, low-temperature preparation, and low cost, which are expected to be widely used as dielectric layers in new flexible, transparent, and high-performance electronic devices in the future. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Thin Film Microelectronic Devices and Circuits)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

13 pages, 3035 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Study of Weight Quantization Associations over a Weight Range for Application in Memristor Devices

by Yerim Kim, Hee Yeon Noh, Gyogwon Koo, Hyunki Lee, Sanghan Lee, Rock-Hyun Choi, Shinbuhm Lee, Myoung-Jae Lee and Hyeon-Jun Lee

Micromachines 2024, 15(10), 1258; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi15101258 - 15 Oct 2024

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1299

Abstract

The development of hardware-based cognitive computing systems critically hinges upon the integration of memristor devices capable of versatile weight expression across a spectrum of resistance levels while preserving consistent electrical properties. This investigation aims to explore the practical implementation of a digit recognition system utilizing memristor devices with minimized weighting levels. Through the process of weight quantization for digits represented by 25 or 49 input signals, the study endeavors to ascertain the feasibility of digit recognition via neural network computation. The integration of memristor devices into the system architecture is poised to streamline the representation of the resistors required for weight expression, thereby facilitating the realization of neural-network-based cognitive systems. To minimize the information corruption in the system caused by weight quantization, we introduce the concept of “weight range” in this work. The weight range is the range between the maximum and minimum values of the weights in the neural network. We found that this has a direct impact on weight quantization, which reduces the number of digits represented by a weight below a certain level. This was found to help maintain the information integrity of the entire system despite the reduction in weight levels. Moreover, to validate the efficacy of the proposed methodology, quantized weights are systematically applied to an array of double-layer neural networks. This validation process involves the construction of cross-point array circuits with dimensions of 25 × 10 and 10 × 10, followed by a meticulous examination of the resultant changes in the recognition rate of randomly generated numbers through device simulations. Such endeavors contribute to advancing the understanding and practical implementation of hardware-based cognitive computing systems leveraging memristor devices and weight quantization techniques. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Thin Film Microelectronic Devices and Circuits)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

8 pages, 2607 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Fabrication of Electrospun Porous TiO₂ Dielectric Film in a Ti–TiO₂–Si Heterostructure for Metal–Insulator–Semiconductor Capacitors

by Jin-Uk Yoo, Tae-Min Choi and Sung-Gyu Pyo

Micromachines 2024, 15(10), 1231; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi15101231 - 30 Sep 2024

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1054

Abstract

The development of metal–insulator–semiconductor (MIS) capacitors requires device miniaturization and excellent electrical properties. Traditional SiO₂ gate dielectrics have reached their physical limits. In this context, high-k materials such as TiO₂ are emerging as promising alternatives to SiO₂. However, the deposition of dielectric layers in MIS capacitors typically requires high-vacuum equipment and challenging processing conditions. Therefore, in this study, we present a new method to effectively fabricate a poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF)-based TiO₂ dielectric layer via electrospinning. Nano-microscale layers were formed via electrospinning by applying a high voltage to a polymer solution, and electrical properties were analyzed as a function of the TiO₂ crystalline phase and residual amount of PVDF at different annealing temperatures. Improved electrical properties were observed with increasing TiO₂ anatase content, and the residual amount of PVDF decreased with increasing annealing temperature. The sample annealed at 600 °C showed a lower leakage current than those annealed at 300 and 450 °C, with a leakage current density of 7.5 × 10⁻¹³ A/cm² when Vg = 0 V. Thus, electrospinning-based coating is a cost-effective method to fabricate dielectric thin films. Further studies will show that it is flexible and dielectric tunable, thus contributing to improve the performance of next-generation electronic devices. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Thin Film Microelectronic Devices and Circuits)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

13 pages, 3955 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

3D Light-Direction Sensor Based on Segmented Concentric Nanorings Combined with Deep Learning

by Pengcheng Huang, Peijin Wu, Ziyuan Guo and Zhicheng Ye

Micromachines 2024, 15(10), 1219; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi15101219 - 30 Sep 2024

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1259

Abstract

High-precision, ultra-thin angular detectable imaging upon a single pixel holds significant promise for light-field detection and reconstruction, thereby catalyzing advancements in machine vision and interaction technology. Traditional light-direction angle sensors relying on optical components like gratings and lenses face inherent constraints from diffraction limits in achieving device miniaturization. Recently, angle sensors via coupled double nanowires have demonstrated prowess in attaining high-precision angle perception of incident light at sub-wavelength device scales, which may herald a novel design paradigm for ultra-compact angle sensors. However, the current approach to measuring the three-dimensional (3D) incident light direction is unstable. In this paper, we propose a sensor concept capable of discerning the 3D light-direction based on a segmented concentric nanoring structure that is sensitive to both elevation angle (

θ

) and azimuth angle (

ϕ

) at a micrometer device scale and is validated through simulations. Through deep learning (DL) analysis and prediction, our simulations reveal that for angle scanning with a step size of

1 °

, the device can still achieve a detection range of

0 \sim 360 °

for

ϕ

and

45 ° \sim 90 °

for

θ

, with an average accuracy of

0.19 °

, and DL can further solve some data aliasing problems to expand the sensing range. Our design broadens the angle sensing dimension based on mutual resonance coupling among nanoring segments, and through waveguide implementation or sensor array arrangements, the detection range can be flexibly adjusted to accommodate diverse application scenarios. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Thin Film Microelectronic Devices and Circuits)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

11 pages, 2666 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Capacitance–Voltage Fluctuation of Si_xN_y-Based Metal–Insulator–Metal Capacitor Due to Silane Surface Treatment

by Tae-Min Choi, Eun-Su Jung, Jin-Uk Yoo, Hwa-Rim Lee and Sung-Gyu Pyo

Micromachines 2024, 15(10), 1204; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi15101204 - 28 Sep 2024

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 956

Abstract

In this study, we analyze metal–insulator–metal (MIM) capacitors with different thicknesses of SixNy film (650 Å, 500 Å, and 400 Å) and varying levels of film quality to improve their capacitance density. SixNy thicknesses of 650 Å, 500 Å, and 400 Å are used with four different conditions, designated as MIM (N content 1.49), NEWMIM (N content 28.1), DAMANIT (N content 1.43), and NIT (N content 0.30). We divide the C–V characteristics into two categories: voltage coefficient of capacitance (VCC) and temperature coefficient of capacitance (TCC). There was an overall increase in the VCC as the thickness of the SixNy film decreased, with some variation depending on the condition. However, the TCC did not vary significantly with thickness, only with condition. At the same thickness, the NIT condition yielded the highest capacitance density, while the MIM condition showed the lowest capacitance density. This difference was due to the actual thickness of the film and the variation in its k-value depending on the condition. The most influential factor for capacitance uniformity was the thickness uniformity of the SixNy film. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Thin Film Microelectronic Devices and Circuits)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

13 pages, 4456 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Preparation of High-Performance Transparent Al₂O₃ Dielectric Films via Self-Exothermic Reaction Based on Solution Method and Applications

by Xuecong Fang, Honglong Ning, Zihan Zhang, Rihui Yao, Yucheng Huang, Yonglin Yang, Weixin Cheng, Shaojie Jin, Dongxiang Luo and Junbiao Peng

Micromachines 2024, 15(9), 1140; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi15091140 - 11 Sep 2024

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1373

Abstract

As the competition intensifies in enhancing the integration and performance of integrated circuits, in accordance with the famous Moore’s Law, higher performance and smaller size requirements are imposed on the dielectric layers in electronic devices. Compared to vacuum methods, the production cost of preparing dielectric layers via solution methods is lower, and the preparation cycle is shorter. This paper utilizes a low-temperature self-exothermic reaction based on the solution method to prepare high-performance Al₂O₃ dielectric thin films that are compatible with flexible substrates. In this paper, we first established two non-self-exothermic systems: one with pure aluminum nitrate and one with pure aluminum acetylacetonate. Additionally, we set up one self-exothermic system where aluminum nitrate and aluminum acetylacetonate were mixed in a 1:1 ratio. Tests revealed that the leakage current density and dielectric constant of the self-exothermic system devices were significantly optimized compared to the two non-self-exothermic system devices, indicating that the self-exothermic reaction can effectively improve the quality of the dielectric film. This paper further established two self-exothermic systems with aluminum nitrate and aluminum acetylacetonate mixed in 2:1 and 1:2 ratios, respectively, for comparison. The results indicate that as the proportion of aluminum nitrate increases, the overall dielectric performance of the devices improves. The best overall performance occurs when aluminum nitrate and aluminum acetylacetonate are mixed in a ratio of 2:1: The film surface is smooth without cracks; the surface roughness is 0.747 ± 0.045 nm; the visible light transmittance reaches up to 98%; on the basis of this film, MIM devices were fabricated, with tested leakage current density as low as 1.08 × 10⁻⁸ A/cm² @1 MV and a relative dielectric constant as high as 8.61 ± 0.06, demonstrating excellent electrical performance. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Thin Film Microelectronic Devices and Circuits)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

11 pages, 4925 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Polarization-Insensitive Lithium Niobate-on-Insulator Interferometer

by Jiali Liao, Linke Liu, Yanling Sun, Zihao Wang, Wei Li, Jinrong Lan, Lin Ma and Zhenzhong Lu

Micromachines 2024, 15(8), 983; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi15080983 - 30 Jul 2024

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1229

Abstract

The key components of a polarization-independent electro-optic (EO) interferometer, including the beam splitter, mode converter, and directional coupler, are designed based on a lithium niobate (LN) platform on an integrated insulator to ensure high extinction ratios. By elaborately designing the geometric structure of the multimode interference (MMI) coupler, beam splitting of equal proportions and directional coupling of higher-order modes are realized. The most prominent characteristic of the proposed interferometer is polarization insensitivity, which is realized by converting TM polarization into TE polarization using a mode converter, providing conditions for the study of light with different polarizations. At 1550 nm, the visibility of the interferometer is 97.59% and 98.16% for TE and TM, respectively, demonstrating the high performance of the proposed LN polarization-independent interferometer. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Thin Film Microelectronic Devices and Circuits)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

8 pages, 1993 KiB

Open AccessCommunication

Optimization of Pulsed Laser Energy Density for the Preparation of MoS₂ Film and Its Device by Pulsed Laser Deposition

by Wei Cai, Yuxiang Liu, Rihui Yao, Weijian Yuan, Honglong Ning, Yucheng Huang, Shaojie Jin, Xuecong Fang, Ruhai Guo and Junbiao Peng

Micromachines 2024, 15(8), 945; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi15080945 - 24 Jul 2024

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1344

Abstract

This article aims to explore the most optimal pulsed laser energy density when using the pulsed laser deposition (PLD) process to prepare the MoS₂ films. We gradually increased the pulsed laser energy density from 70 mJ·cm⁻² to 110 mJ·cm⁻² and finally determined that 100 mJ·cm⁻² was the best-pulsed laser energy density for MoS₂ films by PLD. The surface morphology and crystallization of the MoS₂ films prepared under this condition are the best. The films consist of a high-crystallized 2H-MoS₂ phase with strong (002) preferential orientation, and their direct optical band gap (E_g) is 1.614 eV. At the same time, the Si/MoS₂ heterojunction prepared under the optimal pulsed laser energy density shows an opening voltage of 0.61 V and a rectification ratio of 457.0. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Thin Film Microelectronic Devices and Circuits)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

11 pages, 2455 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Dependence of a Hydrogen Buffer Layer on the Properties of Top-Gate IGZO TFT

by Huixue Huang, Cong Peng, Meng Xu, Longlong Chen and Xifeng Li

Micromachines 2024, 15(6), 722; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi15060722 - 29 May 2024

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1519

Abstract

In this paper, the effect of a buffer layer created using different hydrogen-containing ratios of reactive gas on the electrical properties of a top-gate In-Ga-Zn-O thin-film transistor was thoroughly investigated. The interface roughness between the buffer layer and active layer was characterized using atomic force microscopy and X-ray reflection. The results obtained using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy show that the hydrogen content of the buffer layer increases with the increase in the hydrogen content of the reaction gas. With the increase in the hydrogen-containing materials in the reactive gas, field effect mobility and negative bias illumination stress stability improve nearly twofold. The reasons for these results are explained using technical computer-aided design simulations. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Thin Film Microelectronic Devices and Circuits)

► Show Figures

Journal Menu

Journal Browser

Thin Film Microelectronic Devices and Circuits

Share This Special Issue

Special Issue Editor

Special Issue Information

Keywords

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

Related Special Issues

Published Papers (11 papers)

Editorial

Research

Further Information

Guidelines

MDPI Initiatives

Follow MDPI