Progressive development of semiconductor materials forms the underpinning of future information and communication technologies. The electrical, chemical, optical, and microscopic characteristics of the semiconductor material dictates the form of device architecture, their manufacture, economics, function and inevitably the relationship with the human user. Several competing classes of semiconductor technologies exist, from silicon and germanium to organics and polymers, each with their own long list of advantages and disadvantages. Oxide semiconductors have become a prominent materials platform for the next-generation of electronic and optoelectronic devices. The combination of high electron mobility, optical transparency, low-temperature process compatibility and excellent chemical stability present as unique advantages. These characteristics enable diverse applications from conventional thin-film transistors (TFTs) and Schottky diodes to emerging dynamic random-access memory (DRAM) 2T0C architectures and multifunctional device concepts.
The central challenge in oxide semiconductor devices lies in the persistent trade-off between electron mobility and operational stability, which remains a critical barrier to their widespread adoption. High mobility is essential for performance, yet it often compromises long-term stability under bias, thermal, or illumination stress. Addressing this dilemma is crucial for advancing oxide semiconductor TFTs and related devices into practical technologies. Recent progress offers promising routes forward, including heterojunction channels that enhance stability without sacrificing mobility, sub-10 nm low-voltage oxide semiconductor TFTs approaching CMOS-level performance, and oxide-based 2T0C DRAM architectures that enable capacitor-less memory with extended retention. Beyond replacing silicon, oxide semiconductors uniquely support transparent and flexible electronics, neuromorphic transistors, underscoring their potential as a transformative materials platform.
This special collection aims to showcase the latest advances in oxide semiconductor materials, devices, and system-level applications. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to:
• Novel oxide semiconductor materials: composition engineering, doping strategies, defect control, and interface modification.
• Device architectures: TFTs, Schottky diodes, DRAM 2T0C structures, synaptic transistors, and other emerging devices.
• Processing and integration: low-temperature fabrication, back-end-of-line (BEOL) compatible processes, flexible or transparent electronics, solution processing, physical vapor deposition (PVD), and large-scale manufacturing.
• Characterization: electrical and optical analyses; device physics; reliability and stability studies; advanced spectroscopic or imaging techniques.
• Application demonstrations: high-resolution displays, high-sensitivity sensors, and neuromorphic systems.
Article types and fees
This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:
- Editorial
- FAIR² Data
- FAIR² DATA Direct Submission
- Mini Review
- Original Research
- Perspective
- Review
Articles that are accepted for publication by our external editors following rigorous peer review incur a publishing fee charged to Authors, institutions, or funders.
Keywords: Thin-film transistor, Schottky diodes, synaptic transistors
Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
