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![Mass fraction abundance of elements in the Earth's crust in relation to their atomic number. The common TCO cations are highlighted by coloured circles with additional possible dopants shown with squares. Adapted and reproduced with permission. [144–146] Copyright 2004, RSC, 2012 Elsevier, and 2011 RSC, respectively.](profile/Colm-Odwyer/publication/312516725/figure/fig13/AS:452052271800321@1484789069015/Mass-fraction-abundance-of-elements-in-the-Earths-crust-in-relation-to-their-atomic.png)
Mass fraction abundance of elements in the Earth's crust in relation to their atomic number. The common TCO cations are highlighted by coloured circles with additional possible dopants shown with squares. Adapted and reproduced with permission. [144–146] Copyright 2004, RSC, 2012 Elsevier, and 2011 RSC, respectively.
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A comprehensive review of recent advances in solution processing and growth of metal-oxide thin films for electronic and photonic devices is presented, with specific focus on precise solution-based technological coatings for electronics and optics, and new concepts for oxide material growth for electrochemical, catalytic, energy storage and convers...
Citations
... These achievements are more challenging to attain using chemical vapour deposition (CVD) or atomic layer deposition (ALD) processes. The limitations of solution processing for certain technologies are also discussed, along with insights into the future of solution-based processing of metal-oxide materials for electronics, photonics, and other technologies (7). There is a wide range of coating methods available due to the diverse applications and needs in various fields. ...
The dip coating technique is a widely used method in thin film deposition, particularly in industries like electronics, optics, and materials science. This process involves immersing a substrate material into a liquid solution or suspension (the coating material) and then slowly withdrawing it at a controlled speed. As the substrate is pulled out, a thin film of the coating material adheres to its surface due to capillary action, forming a uniform layer upon subsequent drying or curing. Factors like viscosity, surface tension, and concentration of the coating solution, as well as withdrawal rate and drying techniques, are carefully controlled to achieve the desired film characteristics. This technique offers advantages such as simplicity, cost- effectiveness, and scalability for large-scale production. However, challenges related to controlling film thickness, achieving uniformity, and handling high-viscosity coatings exist and require precise process optimization(1). In this process, the cores are held in a suitable device (e.g. baskets) and dipped into the coating solution and then dried carefully to avoid sticking to each other. For better or heavier coats, the dipping and drying process may need to be repeated multiple times one after the other. There are several dipping arrangements available, some of which include small suction tubes that hold the tablets apart until the drying process is complete, after which you can add more tablets or start the recoating cycle(2). The coating techniques used in tablet production greatly influence the aesthetic qualities such as colour, texture, mouthfeel, and taste masking. However, these techniques have certain limitations and drawbacks. To overcome these limitations, Tablet in Tablet is considered one of the best alternatives. The objective of this study is to comprehensively review the formulation, characterization, and challenges associated with the development of Tablet in Tablet dosage form. Currently, there are only a few patents filed or granted on this topic, including the Tablet in Tablet of cyclophosphamide and capecitabine. Our focus is to provide the rationale behind the development of such dosage forms (3).
... This technique reduces the fabrication costs and allows a broadened application of the devices on various substrates, such as flexible plastics and paper-based materials [30]. The spin coating and dip coating methods both have their advantages and disadvantages, depending on the solution and substrates being used [31]. ...
... Thermal vacuum evaporation techniques are employed when the organic semiconductor can be sublimed, which is common for most small-molecule semiconductors [44,45]. Some examples of these techniques are organic molecular beam deposition (OMBD) [46] and organic vapor-phase deposition (OVPD) [31]. ...
... Upon completion, the desired thin film will form via a combination of evaporation processes and liquid flow. An additional step such as heat or UV treatment may be required depending on the solution's characteristics [31]. It is worth mentioning that the effect of the polymer layer on the thin-film pentacene was also studied by depositing the polymer as a dielectric layer. ...
Pentacene is a well-known conjugated organic molecule with high mobility and a sensitive
photo response. It is widely used in electronic devices, such as in organic thin-film transistors (OTFTs),
organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs), photodetectors, and smart sensors. With the development
of flexible and wearable electronics, the deposition of good-quality pentacene films in large-scale
organic electronics at the industrial level has drawn more research attention. Several methods are
used to deposit pentacene thin films. The thermal evaporation technique is the most frequently used
method for depositing thin films, as it has low contamination rates and a well-controlled deposition
rate. Solution-processable methods such as spin coating, dip coating, and inkjet printing have also
been widely studied because they enable large-scale deposition and low-cost fabrication of devices.
This review summarizes the deposition principles and control parameters of each deposition method
for pentacene and its derivatives. Each method is discussed in terms of experimentation and theory.
Based on film quality and device performance, the review also provides a comparison of each method
to provide recommendations for specific device application
... This was due to the growth of grains by increasing the thickness as a function of spraying time [83]. Accordingly, thicker films exhibit a higher scattering of incident light, leading to decreased transmittance in NiO thin films [86]. Additionally, Daira et al. showed that the spray number influences the transmittance spectra of CuO thin films. ...
This review focuses on the synthesis of p-type metal-oxide (p-type MOX) semiconductor thin films, such as CuO, NiO, Co3O4, and Cr2O3, used for chemical-sensing applications. P-type MOX thin films exhibit several advantages over n-type MOX, including a higher catalytic effect, low humidity dependence, and improved recovery speed. However, the sensing performance of CuO, NiO, Co3O4, and Cr2O3 thin films is strongly related to the intrinsic physicochemical properties of the material and the thickness of these MOX thin films. The latter is heavily dependent on synthesis techniques. Many techniques used for growing p-MOX thin films are reviewed herein. Physical vapor-deposition techniques (PVD), such as magnetron sputtering, thermal evaporation, thermal oxidation, and molecular-beam epitaxial (MBE) growth were investigated, along with chemical vapor deposition (CVD). Liquid-phase routes, including sol–gel-assisted dip-and-spin coating, spray pyrolysis, and electrodeposition, are also discussed. A review of each technique, as well as factors that affect the physicochemical properties of p-type MOX thin films, such as morphology, crystallinity, defects, and grain size, is presented. The sensing mechanism describing the surface reaction of gases with MOX is also discussed. The sensing characteristics of CuO, NiO, Co3O4, and Cr2O3 thin films, including their response, sensor kinetics, stability, selectivity, and repeatability are reviewed. Different chemical compounds, including reducing gases (such as volatile organic compounds (VOCs), H2, and NH3) and oxidizing gases, such as CO2, NO2, and O3, were analyzed. Bulk doping, surface decoration, and heterostructures are some of the strategies for improving the sensing capabilities of the suggested pristine p-type MOX thin films. Future trends to overcome the challenges of p-type MOX thin-film chemical sensors are also presented.
... LA remains one of the most promising techniques to achieve direct crystallization of metal-oxide films on flexible polymer substrates. [141][142][143][144][145] To avoid thermal damage to polymer substrates, a large laser energy combined with a short pulse width is needed to transfer the generated heat from the surface to the film but not to the substrate. However, a short pulse duration gives rise to dramatic temperature gradients across the film thickness. ...
Lead zirconate titanate (PZT) thin films stand for a prominent technological brick in the field of microsystems. The recent improvements of their manufacturability combined with excellent piezoelectric properties have enabled their introduction in industrial clean rooms all around the world. These films require annealing temperatures beyond 600 °C to crystallize in the desired perovskite phase, which exhibits outstanding piezoelectric coefficients. This temperature requirement forbids large application fields such as flexible electronics, smart glass but also system-on-chip approaches. Decreasing the annealing temperature of PZT films would therefore spread further their potential usage to other applications. The purpose of this paper is to provide the reader with a comprehensive review of the different techniques available in the literature to process piezoelectric PZT thin films at temperatures compatible with semiconductors (450 °C), smart glass (400 °C), or flexible electronics (350 °C). We first present the typical ferroelectric and piezoelectric properties of PZT films. The different deposition techniques and growth mechanisms of these films are then reviewed with a focus on thermodynamics. Then, all the low temperature processes are detailed, such as seeding effects, the modification of deposition parameters in vapor-phase deposition, special annealing technologies assisted with UV, lasers, flash lamps, microwave radiations or high-pressure, a focus on the hydrothermal method, and finally what is called solution chemistry design with notably combustion synthesis. Transfer processing is also detailed, as an alternative way to this low temperature approach. An outlook of future applications enabled by these innovative techniques is finally provided.
... Nanostructure metal oxides have emerged as an important class of material with a wide range of properties for various applications, including medicine [22], energy storage [23], food packaging [24], photonic devices [25], semiconductor material [26], aerospace [27], and gas sensing [28]. On the other hand, metal oxides NPs as catalysts render an impressive manner to achieve the optimal conditions in terms of high efficiency and selectivity of the processes. ...
In this study, NiO, CuO, and Co2O3 NPs with noteworthy antibacterial activity have been efficiently synthesized by a thermal decomposition of polysalicylaldehyde Schiff base-M(II) complexes (M = Cu, Ni, and Co), as the promising precursors. Polysalicylaldehyde (PSA) Schiff base ligand has been synthesized via the condensation reaction of the 2-aminophenol with polysalicylaldehyde followed by metal coordination to Cu(II), Ni(II), and Co(II) ions. The nanoparticles were obtained in high uniformity and homogeneous morphology with high purity and crystallinity by the thermal decomposition of the corresponding PSA Schiff base complexes. A very uniform and narrow size distribution of nanoparticles with spherical morphology and an average diameter between 20 and 22 nm was obtained for all three nanoparticles. The results of characterization analyses showed high purity and high crystallinity percentage of the prepared nanoparticles. The antibacterial activity of all three nanoparticles on Escherichia coli, Bacillus cereus, and Staphylococcus aureus was studied by well diffusion method as well as MIC analysis. All three nanoparticles showed a significant antibacterial effect compared to the initial complex.
Graphic abstract
A promising protocol has been developed for the uniform-sized metal oxide nanoparticles (CuO, NiO, and Co2O3 NPs) with high antibacterial activity using thermal decomposition of polysalicylaldehyde M-Schiff base (Co(II), Ni(II), Cu(II)) complexes.
... The advent of modern transparent technology is owed to the development of metal oxide-based materials, especially semiconductors. The transparent metal oxides proffer the future prospect of low-cost microelectronics [1] and the next-generation optical displays [2][3][4] with improved characteristics such as high (>80%) transparency (due to their wide optical bandgap > 3 eV in general), large carrier mobilities, and ease of processing. Zirconia (ZrO2) is not only a wide band gap (3-7.8 eV) [5,6] and highly stable metal oxide, but it exhibits larger values of both refractive index and dielectric constant that make it aptly suitable for a great range of applications. ...
This paper demonstrates the high yield and cost effectiveness of a simple and ecofriendly water-based solution processing, to produce Zinc-doped Zirconia (Zn-ZrO2) composite thin films, onto glass substrates, with excellent optical properties that make them of great interest for optical and microelectronics technologies. The effect of Zn variation (given as 10, 15, 20 at.%) on the crystallization, microstructure, and optical properties of ZrO2 film was examined. The addition of Zn did not restructure the ZrO2 lattice, as the results indicated by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Raman spectroscopy revealed neither any mixed or individual phases; rather, all the films retained the amorphousness. Nonetheless, Zn did control the grain formation at the film surfaces, thereby changing the surface morphology. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) evidenced homogeneous, compact, crack-free, and dense films with surface roughness below 2 nm indicating smooth surfaces. The films were highly transparent (>80%) with tunable optical band gap Eg (5.21 to 4.66 eV) influenced by Zn dopant. Optical constants such as refractive index (n), extinction coefficient (k), and dielectric constant (ε) were obtained from spectroscopic ellipsometry (SE), and a correlation was established with respect to the doping level. A high value of n > 2 value indicated high packing density in these films, and it decreased slightly from 2.98 to 2.60 (at 632 nm); whereas, optical losses were brought down with increasing Zn indicated by decreasing k values. The photoluminescence (PL) spectra showed UV emissions more pronounced than the blue emissions indicating good structural quality of all the films. Nonetheless, added defects from Zn had suppressed the PL emission. The technique presented in this work, thus, manifests as high performance and robust and has the potential comparable to the sophisticated counter techniques. Furthermore, the Zn-ZrO2 films are promising for a low-cost solution to processed microelectronics and optical technologies after reaching high performance targets with regards to the electrical properties.
... [1][2][3][4][5] These solution phase synthetic methods also provide a high homogeneity to the resulting chemical system, and are cost-effective and easy to implement at larger scale for the synthesis of nanomaterials. [6][7][8] As compared to the commonly used hydro/solvothermal synthesis, which usually results in the thermodynamically stable end products, the designed precursors with all the constituent elements preorganized in a molecular framework can potentially influence the decomposition route and, consequently, overcome the thermodynamic impediments to produce nanomaterials under milder conditions and with better control over their properties, leading sometimes to isolation of even thermodynamically metastable phases. During molecule-to-materials transformation, the organic groups/ligands are eliminated to afford the desired metal-containing materials. ...
We report here the synthesis of [Cu2(TFA)4(tBu2S)2] (1), [Ag4(TFA)4(tBu2S)4] (2) and [AuCl(tBu2S)] (3) (TFA=trifluoroacetate), which decompose in solution medium at ultra‐low temperature (e. g., in boiling toluene) to afford phase‐pure and highly crystalline Cu9S5, Ag2S and metallic Au nanoparticles, respectively. The low decomposition temperature of these precursors is attributed to the facile decomposition mechanism in the di‐tertiary‐butyl sulfide ligand. These results are a significant step in the direction of establishing a general low‐temperature strategy spanning a range of systems including thermodynamically metastable materials and incorporate them in technologies that are sensitive to the harsh conditions.
... [1][2][3][4][5] These solution phase synthetic methods also provide a high homogeneity to the resulting chemical system, and are cost-effective and easy to implement at larger scale for the synthesis of nanomaterials. [6][7][8] As compared to the commonly used hydro/solvothermal synthesis, which usually results in the thermodynamically stable end products, the designed precursors with all the constituent elements preorganized in a molecular framework can potentially influence the decomposition route and, consequently, overcome the thermodynamic impediments to produce nanomaterials under milder conditions and with better control over their properties, leading sometimes to isolation of even thermodynamically metastable phases. During molecule-to-materials transformation, the organic groups/ligands are eliminated to afford the desired metal-containing materials. ...
Functional nanomaterials are indispensable to modern technologies and their low‐temperature synthesis is a key‐step to their incorporation in technologically advanced areas. In our pursuit to identify the reagents that are reactive at low temperature, we exploit here the inherent facile decomposition mechanism in the di‐tertiary‐butyl sulfide ligand as a strategy to obtain molecular complexes with ultra‐low decomposition temperature and explore their application as facile precursors to highly crystalline metal sulfide or metallic nanoparticles. More information can be found in the Communication by S. Mishra et al. (DOI: 10.1002/chem.202101471).
... Materials were built from more powerful and cost-effective semi-conductive thin films with both the advent of nanotechnology and polymer science in the last decades [1]. Studying the deposited materials in the form of thin film is one of the most important ways to further define many chemical and physical properties of one or more layers of material atoms with a thickness not exceeding one micron [2]. In the last two decades, applications such as protection, decoration, and manufacturing of optical-electronic devices were the main industrial developments produced by thin films. ...
The quaternary alloy of Cu2CdSnS4 (CCSS) is one type of thin film materials that contributes to the field of photovoltaic devices manufacturing, the importance of which has not been commonly enlightened as most of the other materials. For the preparation of CCSS thin films at 350 °C on glass substrates, the chemical spray pyrolysis technique was used. The optical properties of thin films prepared under the influence of the variation of copper solution molarity (0.03, 0.05, 0.07, and 0.09 M) on the quaternary compound were examined using a UV-vis spectrophotometer. The findings of the AFM study showed the atoms on the surface that are acclimatized in the form of nanorods with an increase in the average grain size from 62.72 to 79.17 nm. The results also showed an improvement in the average surface roughness from 5.69 to 12.8 nm when copper concentration increased from 0.03 to 0.09 M. The UV-vis results showed that the optical transmittance of CCSS decreases by increasing the solution molarity of copper, with a change in the absorption edge toward the low energy side (redshift). With an increase in the wavelength between 725 and 960 nm, a low absorption coefficient was found in the infrared region, while a strong absorption coefficient in the visible range was observed with the increase in copper solution molarity. The energy gap values decreased from 1.6 to 1.47 eV when copper solution molarity increased from 0.03 to 0.09 M. By raising copper solution molarity to 0.09 M, the refractive index at the absorption edge was increased from 1.6 to 1.97, while the extinction coefficient reduced.
... The method is still being used to produce large-area thin films and thus has an increasingly significant role in the manufacturing of electronic devices. 20 A study of MoO x films prepared by a solution-based process could be useful to optimize the conditions needed to produce large-area MoO x films for PSCs. ...
