Nanostructured p-Type Semiconducting Transparent Oxides: Promising Materials for Nano-Active Devices and the Emerging Field of “Transparent Nanoelectronics”

Abstract

Transparent conducting oxides (TCO) with p-type semiconductivity have recently gained renewed interest for the fabrication of all-oxide transparent junctions, having potential applications in the emerging field of 'Transparent' or 'Invisible Electronics'. This kind of transparent junctions can be used as a "functional" window, which will transmit visible portion of solar radiation, but generates electricity by the absorption of the UV part. Therefore, these devices can be used as UV shield as well as UV cells. In this report, a brief review on the research activities on various p-TCO materials is furnished along-with the fabrication of different transparent p-n homojunction, heterojunction and field-effect transistors. Also the reason behind the difficulties in obtaining p-TCO materials and possible solutions are discussed in details. Considerable attention is given in describing the various patent generations on the field of p-TCO materials as well as transparent p-n junction diodes and light emitting devices. Also, most importantly, a detailed review and patenting activities on the nanocrystalline p-TCO materials and transparent nano-active device fabrication are furnished with considerable attention. And finally, a systematic description on the fabrication and characterization of nanocrystalline, p-type transparent conducting CuAlO(2) thin film, deposited by cost-effective low-temperature DC sputtering technique, by our group, is furnished in details. These p-TCO micro/nano-materials have wide range of applications in the field of optoelectronics, nanoelectronics, space sciences, field-emission displays, thermoelectric converters and sensing devices.

Recent developments in TiO2 as n- and p-type transparent semiconductors: synthesis, modification, properties, and energy-related applications

“…But most importantly, it can be doped into a p-type TSO with divalent or tri-valent cations (Cr, Fe, Ni, Co, etc.). The p-type TSOs are extremely important in the field of emerging transparent electronics for the potential fabrication of invisible circuits [69] for UV-based solar cells [351,352]. Hence, considerable attention was given to the syntheses and doping strategies to fabricate p-type TiO 2 as TSOs.…”

“…The demand for a highly sensitive, selective, and stable hydrogen sensor has increased in recent years mainly due to the continued and growing importance of hydrogen in fuel cell applications [329], as well as the chemical, semiconductor, food processing, and petroleum industries. Various types of sensor technologies are being developed [330], such as Schottky junctions [331][332][333][334], fiber optics [335][336][337][338][339], catalysis [338][339][340], electrochemical techniques [341][342][343][344], field-effect transistors (FETs) [345][346][347], oxide semiconductors [72,325,[348][349][350][351][352], and combinations of these. Gasochromic TiO 2 devices have been gaining importance in recent years due to a large number of applications, such as gas sensing, smart windows, and display industries [353,354].…”

Delafossite Nanoparticle as New Functional Materials: Advances in Energy, Nanomedicine and Environmental Applications

“…Raman scattering measurements on CuAlO 2 and CuGaO 2 have reported that these compounds transform to unresolved structures above 34 and 26 GPa, respectively [168][169]. X-ray diffraction, Mossbauer and XAS measurements on CuFeO 2 reveal intricate structural/electronic-magnetic pressure induced phase transition [170][171].…”