The Real-Time Monitoring of the Laser-Induced Functionalization of Transparent Conductive Oxide Films

Laser-induced functionalization using excimer laser irradiation has been widely applied to transparent conductive oxide films. However, exploring suitable irradiation conditions is time-consuming and cost-ineffective as there are numerous routine film fabrication and analytical processes. Thus, we herein explored a real-time monitoring technique of the laser-induced functionalization of transparent conductive oxide films. We developed two types of monitoring apparatus, electrical and optical, and applied them to magnetron-sputtered, Sn-doped In2O3 films grown on glass substrates and hydrogen-doped In2O3 films on glass or plastic substrates using a picosecond Nd:YAG pulsed laser. Both techniques could monitor the functionalization from a change in the properties of the films on glass substrates via laser irradiation, but electrical measurement was unsuitable for the plastic samples because of a laser-induced degradation of the underlying plastic substrate, which harmed proper electrical contact. Instead, we proposed that the optical properties in the near-infrared region are more suitable for monitoring. The changes in the optical properties were successfully detected visually in real-time by using an InGaAs near-infrared camera.

Printing Formation of Flexible (001)-Oriented PZT Films on Plastic Substrates

High-quality, uniaxially oriented, and flexible PbZr_0.52Ti_0.48O₃ (PZT) films were fabricated on flexible RbLaNb₂O₇/BaTiO₃ (RLNO/BTO)-coated polyimide (PI) substrates. All layers were fabricated by a photo-assisted chemical solution deposition (PCSD) process using KrF laser irradiation for photocrystallization of the printed precursors. The Dion-Jacobson perovskite RLNO thin films on flexible PI sheets were employed as seed layers for the uniaxially oriented growth of PZT films. To obtain the uniaxially oriented RLNO seed layer, a BTO nanoparticle-dispersion interlayer was fabricated to avoid PI substrate surface damage under excess photothermal heating, and the RLNO has been orientedly grown only at around 40 mJ·cm^-2 at 300 °C. The prepared RLNO seed layer on the BTO/PI substrate showed very high (010)-oriented growth with a very high Lotgering factor (F(010) = 1.0). By using the flexible (010)-oriented RLNO film on BTO/PI, PZT film crystal growth was possible via KrF laser irradiation of a sol-gel-derived precursor film at 50 mJ·cm^-2 at 300 °C. The obtained PZT film showed highly (001)-oriented growth on the flexible plastic substrates with F(001) = 0.92 without any micro-cracks. The RLNO was only uniaxial-oriented grown at the top part of the RLNO amorphous precursor layer. The oriented grown and amorphous phases of RLNO would have two important roles for this multilayered film formation: (1) triggering orientation growth of the PZT film at the top and (2) the stress relaxation of the underneath BTO layer to suppress the micro-crack formation. This is the first time that PZT films have been crystallized directly on flexible substrates. The combined processes of photocrystallization and chemical solution deposition are a cost-effective and highly on-demand process for the fabrication of flexible devices.

Flexible Ceramic Film Sensors for Free-Form Devices

Recent technological innovations, such as material printing techniques and surface functionalization, have significantly accelerated the development of new free-form sensors for next-generation flexible, wearable, and three-dimensional electronic devices. Ceramic film sensors, in particular, are in high demand for the production of reliable flexible devices. Various ceramic films can now be formed on plastic substrates through the development of low temperature fabrication processes for ceramic films, such as photocrystallization and transferring methods. Among flexible sensors, strain sensors for precise motion detection and photodetectors for biomonitoring have seen the most research development, but other fundamental sensors for temperature and humidity have also begun to grow. Recently, flexible gas and electrochemical sensors have attracted a lot of attention from a new real-time monitoring application that uses human breath and perspiration to accurately diagnose presymptomatic states. The development of a low-temperature fabrication process of ceramic film sensors and related components will complete the chemically stable and reliable free-form sensing devices by satisfying the demands that can only be addressed by flexible metal and organic components.

Ultrathin Highly Flexible Featherweight Ceramic Temperature Sensor Arrays

We fabricated highly flexible Sr- and Ni-doped perovskite SmMnO₃ thermistor film sensor arrays on an ultrathin (5 μm thick) and lightweight (21 mg) polyimide sheet for healthcare monitoring devices. The Ag nanowire and nanoparticle-impregnated carbon microcone array, which was prepared by precisely controlled surface laser carbonization of polyimide, showed sufficiently low resistance as a bottom electrode and good stability against sharp bending angles. The dot-shaped (diameter: 900 μm) perovskite thermistor film with a thickness of 900 nm was crystallized by pulsed ultraviolet laser irradiation of a precursor film printed with perovskite nanoparticle dispersion ink, and the film functioned well as the thermistor with a thermistor constant of 2820 K. The thermistor sensor sheet exhibited rapid responses to temperature variation and high stability in the temperature cycle tests over 1000 cycles between room temperature and 80 °C. The bending durability for a bending angle of 60° with a small bending radius (500 μm) was also high. During the bending test over 1000 cycles, the monitoring temperature variation was suppressed only within 0.1 °C. This ultrathin sensor array sheet can be mounted on surfaces with shape variations, and we used the sensor for real-time monitoring in healthcare to detect precise temperature variations on the human skin during physical exercise.

Flexible and Epitaxial Metal Oxide Thin Film Growth by Photoreaction Processing for Electrical and Optical Applications

This review summarizes the use of photoreactions that replace conventional heating processes for growing oxide thin films from chemical solutions. In particular, this review outlines key variables in photoreactions that affect epitaxial and polycrystalline thin film growth, including precursor materials, laser wavelength, laser fluence, and carbon. In addition, the features of the photoreaction process that can be controlled at a low temperature by oxygen non-stoichiometry are examined. Likewise, functions that are neither achieved by developing a gradient structure nor controlled by a thermal equilibrium reaction are detailed. Two new concepts are presented, known as photoreaction of nanoparticles (PRNP) and photoreaction of a hybrid solutions (PRHS), in which crystal nuclei are pre-dispersed in a metal-organic compound film. This method has successfully produced flexible phosphor films used as resistor or thermistor electronic components. Finally, thin film growth using different light sources such as flash lamps and femtosecond lasers (fs) is explored.

Control of the oxygen deficiency and work function of SrFeO3−δ thin films by excimer laser-assisted metal organic decomposition

Excimer laser-assisted metal organic decomposition can provide SrFeO_3−δ films with oxygen deficiency varied by using an appropriate atmosphere and tuning the laser fluence.

Steep-Slope Threshold Switch Enabled by Pulsed-Laser-Induced Phase Transformation

Super-steep two-terminal electronic devices using NbO₂, which abruptly switch from insulator to metal at a threshold voltage (V_th), offer diverse strategies for energy-efficient and high-density device architecture to overcome fundamental limitation in current electronics. However, the tight control of stoichiometry and high-temperature processing limit practical implementation of NbO₂ as a component of device integration. Here, we demonstrate a facile room-temperature process that uses solid-solid phase transformation induced by pulsed laser to fabricate NbO₂-based threshold switches. Interestingly, pulsed laser annealing under a reducing environment facilitates a two-step nucleation pathway (a-Nb₂O₅ → o-Nb₂O_5-δ → t-NbO₂) of the threshold-enabled NbO₂ phase mediated by oxygen vacancies in o-Nb₂O_5-δ. The laser-annealed devices with embedded NbO₂ crystallites exhibit excellent threshold device performance with low off-current and high on/off current ratio. Our strategy that exploits the interactions of pulsed lasers with multivalent metal oxides can guide the development of a rational route to achieve NbO₂-based threshold switches that are compatible with current semiconductor fabrication technology.

Laser Irradiation of Metal Oxide Films and Nanostructures: Applications and Advances

Recent technological advances in developing a diverse range of lasers have opened new avenues in material processing. Laser processing of materials involves their exposure to rapid and localized energy, which creates conditions of electronic and thermodynamic nonequilibrium. The laser-induced heat can be localized in space and time, enabling excellent control over the manipulation of materials. Metal oxides are of significant interest for applications ranging from microelectronics to medicine. Numerous studies have investigated the synthesis, manipulation, and patterning of metal oxide films and nanostructures. Besides providing a brief overview on the principles governing the laser-material interactions, here, the ongoing efforts in laser irradiation of metal oxide films and nanostructures for a variety of applications are reviewed. Latest advances in laser-assisted processing of metal oxides are summarized.