Functional Thin Films in Semiconductor Devices and Various Sensing Technologies

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 October 2025) | Viewed by 837

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
School of Chemical Engineering, Chonnam National University, Gwangju 61186, Republic of Korea
Interests: chemical vapor deposition (CVD); gas sensors; photodetectors; biosensors

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD) has emerged as a pivotal technique in the development of thin films, offering precise control over composition, thickness, and uniformity. Recent advancements in the technology highlight its significant role in enhancing the performance of semiconductor devices and various sensing technologies. In particular, with the expansion of CVD-compatible materials to encompass polymers, two-dimensional materials, perovskites, and metal–organic frameworks, its applications have extended beyond traditional semiconductor devices to a diverse range of advanced electronic devices. This Special Issue focuses on functional thin films fabricated through CVD and their integration into sensor devices, including optical sensors, gas sensors, and biosensors, as well as semiconductor devices and other electronic components utilizing CVD technology. The objective is to present a comprehensive overview of research on CVD-based functional materials and their applications in electronic devices. Furthermore, this issue seeks to highlight novel devices incorporating unprecedented functionalities, providing valuable insights into emerging advancements in the field.

Dr. Hyeonghun Kim
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • CVD (chemical vapor deposition)
  • ALD (atomic layer deposition)
  • sensors
  • photodetectors
  • gas sensors
  • biosensors
  • pressure sensors

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Review

30 pages, 7417 KB  
Review
Towards Advanced Materials: Functional Perspectives of Co-Doped ZnO Thin Films
by Mariuca Gartner, Mariana Chelu, Anna Szekeres and Peter Petrik
Micromachines 2025, 16(10), 1179; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi16101179 - 18 Oct 2025
Viewed by 531
Abstract
Zinc oxide (ZnO) thin films have attracted increasing attention as promising materials for sensing applications due to their wide band gap, high exciton binding energy, and remarkable chemical stability. However, the inherent limitations of pure ZnO, such as moderate sensitivity, selectivity, and relatively [...] Read more.
Zinc oxide (ZnO) thin films have attracted increasing attention as promising materials for sensing applications due to their wide band gap, high exciton binding energy, and remarkable chemical stability. However, the inherent limitations of pure ZnO, such as moderate sensitivity, selectivity, and relatively high operating temperatures, limit its widespread use in advanced sensing technologies. Co-doping, or dual doping with two distinct elements, has emerged as an effective strategy to overcome these challenges by synergistically tailoring the structural, electronic, and surface properties of ZnO thin films. This review provides a comprehensive overview of recent advances in the development of co-doped ZnO thin films for sensing applications. The focus is on the role of different combinations of dopants, including transition metals, rare earth elements, and non-metals, in modulating the charge carrier concentration, oxygen vacancy density, and adsorption dynamics. These effects collectively enhance the sensing properties and long-term stability and reduce detection limits. The analysis highlights the correlations between synthesis methods, dopant incorporation mechanisms, and resulting sensor performance. Key challenges such as dopant clustering, reproducibility, and scalability are discussed, along with emerging opportunities in flexible room-temperature sensor platforms. Overall, it has been demonstrated that co-doped ZnO thin films represent a versatile and tunable class of sensing materials with strong potential for next-generation environmental and biomedical monitoring. Full article
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