Data storage, processing, and communications are the backbone of the digital world and focus the innovation efforts of the microelectronics industry. Recent raw material shortages, however, have revealed the danger of sourcing for the digital industry. At a time of a significant increase in demand for data storage systems, it is urgent to consider the sustainability of the resources used for devices. By diluting inorganic elements in an organic matrix, metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are of substantial interest for sustainable technologies. Moreover, they have shown great potential as active materials for electronic, optical, and magnetic memory devices, paving the way to accessible, sustainable, and recyclable microelectronic devices. Based on the number of fundamental studies of the bistability of MOFs, their scalability, recyclability, and low energy consumption, MOFs are highlighted as sustainable materials for a new generation of memristive devices. Finally, considering the "green" chemistry of specific MOF, their flexibility, as well as the market of microelectronics and mineral consumption, the future development of MOF-based memory devices and socio-economic profits from their utilization is predicted.
Binary copper oxides are a promising class of p-type semiconductors for solar energy conversion applications due to their particular electrical and optical properties, elemental abundance, and non-toxicity. So far, three phases with different copper ion oxidation states, including cuprous Cu2O, paramelaconite Cu4O3, and cupric CuO, have already been successfully synthesized by thin-film deposition techniques. This work reviews recent progress in determining the physical properties of these three phases from the viewpoints of both experimental and theoretical calculations, including their thermodynamics, structure, microstructure, band structure, defects, and their optical and electrical properties. In particular, we discuss some undecided issues regarding the properties of these materials. In addition, we summarize recent advances in photovoltaic cells using copper oxides as absorbers, including correlations between device performance and material properties.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.