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In this paper, the low-temperature (≤150 °C) fabrication and characterization of flexible indium–gallium–zinc–oxide (IGZO) top-gate thin-film transistors (TFTs) with channel lengths down to 280 nm is presented. Such extremely short channel lengths in flexible IGZO TFTs were realized with a novel manufacturing process combining two-photon direct laser writing (DLW) photolithography with Ti/Au/Ti source/drain e-beam evaporation and liftoff. The resulting flexible IGZO TFTs exhibit a saturation field-effect mobility of 1.1 cm $^{\textsf {2}}\cdot \textsf {V}^{-\textsf {1}}\cdot \text {s}^{-\textsf {1}}$ and a threshold voltage of 3 V. Thanks to the short channel lengths (280 nm) and the small gate to source/drain overlap ($5.2~\mu \text{m}$), the TFTs yield a transit frequency of 80 MHz (at 8.5-V gate–source voltage) extracted from the measured S-parameters. Furthermore, the devices are fully functional when wrapped around a cylindrical rod with 6-mm radius, corresponding to 0.4% tensile strain in the TFT channel. These results demonstrate a new methodology to realize entirely flexible nanostructures and prove its suitability for the fabrication of short-channel transistors on polymer substrates for future wearable communication electronics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The field of flexible electronics has rapidly expanded over the last decades, pioneering novel applications, such as wearable and textile integrated devices, seamless and embedded patch-like systems, soft electronic skins, as well as imperceptible and transient implants. The possibility to revolutionize our daily life with such disruptive appliances has fueled the quest for electronic devices which yield good electrical and mechanical performance and are at the same time light-weight, transparent, conformable, stretchable, and even biodegradable. Flexible metal oxide semiconductor thin-film transistors (TFTs) can fulfill all these requirements and are therefore considered the most promising technology for tomorrow's electronics. This review reflects the establishment of flexible metal oxide semiconductor TFTs, from the development of single devices, large-area circuits, up to entirely integrated systems. First, an introduction on metal oxide semiconductor TFTs is given, where the history of the field is revisited, the TFT configurations and operating principles are presented, and the main issues and technological challenges faced in the area are analyzed. Then, the recent advances achieved for flexible n-type metal oxide semiconductor TFTs manufactured by physical vapor deposition methods and solution-processing techniques are summarized. In particular, the ability of flexible metal oxide semiconductor TFTs to combine low temperature fabrication, high carrier mobility, large frequency operation, extreme mechanical bendability, together with transparency, conformability, stretchability, and water dissolubility is shown. Afterward, a detailed analysis of the most promising metal oxide semiconducting materials developed to realize the state-of-the-art flexible p-type TFTs is given. Next, the recent progresses obtained for flexible metal oxide semiconductor-based electronic circuits, realized with both unipolar and complementary technology, are reported. In particular, the realization of large-area digital circuitry like flexible near field communication tags and analog integrated circuits such as bendable operational amplifiers is presented. The last topic of this review is devoted for emerging flexible electronic systems, from foldable displays, power transmission elements to integrated systems for large-area sensing and data storage and transmission. Finally, the conclusions are drawn and an outlook over the field with a prediction for the future is provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report on low operating voltage transistors based on polymer-sorted semiconducting (6,5) singlewalled carbon nanotube (SWNT) networks processed from solution at room temperature. The (6,5) SWNTs were separated from the as-received carbon nanotubes mixture using a polyfluorene-based derivative as the sorting and dispersing polymer agent. As-prepared devices exhibit primarily p-type behavior with channel current on/off ratio >10³ and hole mobility ≈ 2 cm² V-1 s-1. These transistor characteristics enable realization of low-voltage unipolar inverters with wide noise margins and high signal gain (>5). Polymer/(6,5) SWNT transistors were also fabricated on free-standing polyimide foils. The devices exhibit even higher hole mobility (≈8 cm² V-1 s-1) and on/off ratios (>104) while remaining fully functional when bent to a radius of 4 mm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Indium oxide (In2O3) films were deposited by ultrasonic spray pyrolysis in ambient air and incorporated into bottom-gate coplanar and staggered thin-film transistors. As-fabricated devices exhibited electron-transporting characteristics with mobility values of 1 cm²V-1s_ 1 and 16cm²V- 1s_ 1 for coplanar and staggered architectures, respectively. Integration of In2O3 transistors enabled realization of unipolar inverters with high gain (5.3 V/V) and low-voltage operation. The low temperature deposition (≤250 °C) of In2O3 also allowed transistor fabrication on free-standing 50μm-thick polyimide foils. The resulting flexible In2O3 transistors exhibit good characteristics and remain fully functional even when bent to tensile radii of 4 mm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Indium oxide (In2O3) films were deposited by ultrasonic spray pyrolysis in ambient air and incorporated into bottom-gate coplanar and staggered thin-film transistors. As-fabricated devices exhibited electron-transporting characteristics with mobility values of 1 cm²V-1s-1 and 16 cm²V-1s-1 for coplanar and staggered architectures, respectively. Integration of In2O3 transistors enabled realization of unipolar inverters with high gain (5.3 V/V) and low-voltage operation. The low temperature deposition (≤ 250 °C) of In2O3 also allowed transistor fabrication on free-standing 50 μm-thick polyimide foils. The resulting flexible In2O3 transistors exhibit good characteristics and remain fully functional even when bent to tensile radii of 4 mm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Future flexible electronic systems require memory devices combining low-power operation and mechanical bendability. Here, we present mechanically flexible amorphous InGaZnO (a-IGZO) memory thin-film transistors (TFTs) with a ferroelectric poly(vinylidene fluoride-trifluoroethylene) [P(VDF-TrFE)] gate insulator. Memory operation is demonstrated with a memory window of 3.2 V and a memory ON/OFF ratio of 1.5\times 10^6 (gate-source voltage sweep of \pm6~V). The measured mobility of 8 cm^2~V^-1s^-1 and the ON/OFF current ratio of 10^7 are comparable with the values for reference TFTs fabricated on the same substrate. To use memory TFTs in flexible applications, it is crucial to understand their behavior under mechanical strain. Flexible memory and reference TFTs are characterized under bending radii down to 5.5 mm, corresponding to tensile and compressive strain of \approx\pm0.6\%. For both memory and reference TFTs, tensile strain causes negative threshold voltage shifts and increased drain currents, whereas compressive strain results in the opposite effects. However, memory TFTs, compared with reference TFTs, exhibit up to 8\times larger threshold voltage shifts and 17\times larger drain current variations. It is shown that the strain-dependent properties of a-IGZO can only explain the shifts observed in reference TFTs, whereas the variations in memory TFTs are mainly caused by the piezoelectric properties of P(VDF-TrFE). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Flexible large area electronics promise to enable new devices such as rollable displays and electronic skins. Radio frequency (RF) applications demand circuits operating in the megahertz regime, which is hard to achieve for electronics fabricated on amorphous and temperature sensitive plastic substrates. Here, we present self-aligned amorphous indium–gallium–zinc oxide-based thin-film transistors (TFTs) fabricated on free-standing plastic foil using fabrication temperatures <150^\circC. Self-alignment by backside illumination between gate and source/drain electrodes was used to realize flexible transistors with a channel length of 0.5 \mum and reduced parasitic capacities. The flexible TFTs exhibit a transit frequency of 135 MHz when operated at 2 V. The device performance is maintained when the TFTs are bent to a tensile radius of 3.5 mm, which makes this technology suitable for flexible RFID tags and AM radios. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent years have witnessed a growing interest in detectors capable of detecting single photons in the near-infrared (NIR), mainly due to the emergence of new applications such as light detection and ranging (LiDAR) for, e.g., autonomous driving. A silicon single-photon avalanche diode is surely one of the most interesting and available technologies, although it yields a low efficiency due to the low absorption coefficient of Si in the NIR. Here, we aim at overcoming this limitation through the integration of complementary metal–oxide–semiconductor (CMOS) -compatible nanostructures on silicon photodetectors. Specifically, we utilize silver grating arrays supporting surface plasmons polaritons (SPPs) to superficially confine the incoming NIR photons and therefore to increase the probability of photons generating an electron-hole pair. First, the plasmonic silver array is geometrically designed using time domain simulation software to achieve maximum detector performance at 950 nm. Then, a plasmonic silver array characterized by a pitch of 535 nm, a dot width of 428 nm, and a metal thickness of 110 nm is integrated by means of the focused ion beam technique on the detector. Finally, the integrated detector is electro-optically characterized, demonstrating a QE of 13% at 950 nm, 2.2 times higher than the reference. This result suggests the realization of a silicon device capable of detecting single NIR photons, at a low cost and with compatibility with standard CMOS technology platforms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Strawberry is one of the most popular fruits in the market. To constantly meet the demanding consumer and market quality standards, a rapid, accurate, and non-destructive evaluation of its quality is strongly needed. In this work, bioimpedance data of 234 strawberries were acquired, directly on-plant and at different ripening stages, and were then fitted with the Cole equivalent circuit model, extracting the four variables of the circuit (Rs, Rp, CPE-T and CPE-P). Afterwards, the influence of the circuit components on the fruit ripening discrimination task was evaluated by means of statistical analysis, selecting only the relevant features. The decision tree method was selected to develop the model for the classification of strawberries into ripe and unripe groups, yielding good overall performance, in terms of F1, F0.5 and F2 score, of respectively 0.84, 0.78 and 0.92. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In vitro simulators of the human gastrointestinal (GI) tract are remarkable technological platforms for studying the impact of food on the gut microbiota, enabling continuous and real-time monitoring of key biomarkers. However, comprehensive real-time monitoring of gaseous biomarkers in these systems is required with a cost-effective approach, which has been challenging to perform experimentally to date. In this work, we demonstrate the integration and in-line use of carbon nanotube (CNT)-based chemiresitive gas sensors coated with a thin polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) membrane for the continuous monitoring of gases within the Simulator of the Human Microbial Ecosystem (SHIME). The findings demonstrate the ability of the gas sensor to continuously monitor the different phases of gas production in this harsh, anaerobic, highly humid, and acidic environment for a long exposure time (16 h) without saturation. This establishes our sensor platform as an effective tool for real-time monitoring of gaseous biomarkers in in vitro systems like SHIME. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) have demonstrated great promise especially for the realization of self‐powered biomedical sensors. Nevertheless, developing TENG sensors able to detect the broad range of biomechanical movements experienced on the human body is still a challenge. Herein, a unique ridge‐structured device sensitive to wide range of forces is reported (i.e., low‐forced pulse monitoring to high‐forced gait monitoring). The device is composed of thermoplastic polyurethane layer sandwiched between two textured silicon elastomeric layers. Compared to non‐textured surface configurations, the proposed ridged‐structure provides an increased frictional contact area between the triboelectric materials, while also acting as a spacer between the triboelectric materials. The influence of ridge dimensions on the output performance is investigated by mechanical simulations and electromechanical experimental tests. The optimized device shows a maximum peak output power and current densities of 490 mW m−2 and 1750 µA m−2, respectively at 30 N and 7 Hz of compressive forces. The proposed device exhibits stable electrical output for 10000 cycles. As a proof of concept, the proposed device is used as wearable sensors for monitoring pulse rate, breath patterns, and gait movements. The study suggests the possibility of utilization of novel‐structured sandwich‐type elastomer ridge‐based TENG in different aspects of biomedical sensing and smart wearable application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The growing usage and consumption of electronics‐integrated items into the daily routine has raised concerns on the disposal and proper recycling of these components. Here, a fully sustainable and green technology for the fabrication of different electronics on fruit‐waste derived paper substrate, is reported. The process relies on the carbonization of the topmost surface of different cellulose‐based substrates, derived from apple‐, kiwi‐, and grape‐based processes, by a CO2 laser. By optimizing the lasing parameters, electronic devices, such as capacitors, biosensors, and electrodes for food monitoring as well as heart and respiration activity analysis, are realized. Biocompatibility tests on fruit‐based cellulose reveal no shortcoming for on‐skin applications. The employment of such natural and plastic‐free substrate allows twofold strategies for electronics recycling. As a first approach, device dissolution is achieved at room temperature within 40 days, revealing transient behavior in natural solution and leaving no harmful residuals. Alternatively, the cellulose‐based electronics is reintroduced in nature, as possible support for plant seeding and growth or even soil amendment. These results demonstrate the realization of green, low‐cost and circular electronics, with possible applications in smart agriculture and the Internet‐of‐Thing, with no waste creation and zero or even positive impact on the ecosystem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transparent transistors are mainly investigated in view of their integration in displays and their employment in wearable electronics where the integration of flexible and imperceptible systems is an important requirement. Here, the fabrication and ac performance of flexible InGaZnO thin-film transistors (TFTs) and circuits are presented to evaluate their suitability for analog sensor conditioning applications. Functional oxides are employed to guarantee the transparency of the device, while their fabrication processes are suitable to directly realize electronics on a flexible polyimide substrate. The TFTs show state-of-the-art performance with a field-effect mobility $\mu _{\text {eff}}\,\,= {19}.{39}\,\, \text {cm}^{{2}} \text {V}^{-1} \text {s}^{-1}$ and functionality while bent to radii as low as 5 mm. Reliable scattering parameters measurements confirm transit frequencies as high as $f_{t}~\approx ~7.84$ MHz. Simultaneously, nMOS ring oscillators (ROs) show functionality at supply voltage ${V} _{\text {DD}}$ ranging from 1.75 to 12.25 V with a maximum oscillation frequency ${f} _{\text {osc}}\,\,=132.9$ kHz. Finally, common-source amplifiers (CSAs) exhibit the voltage gains up to 10.7 dB, the cutoff frequencies up to 10.8 kHz, and a power consumption down to $4.4~\mu \text{W}$. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years new forms of electronic devices such as electronic papers, flexible displays, epidermal sensors, and smart textiles have become reality. Thin-film transistors (TFTs) are the basic blocks of the circuits used in such devices and need to operate above 100 MHz to efficiently treat signals in RF systems and address pixels in high resolution displays. Beyond the choice of the semiconductor, i.e., silicon, graphene, organics, or amorphous oxides, the junctionless nature of TFTs and its geometry imply some limitations which become evident and important in devices with scaled channel length. Furthermore, the mechanical instability of flexible substrates limits the feature size of flexible TFTs. Contact resistance and overlapping capacitance are two parasitic effects which limit the transit frequency of transistors. They are often considered independent, while a deeper analysis of TFTs geometry imposes to handle them together; in fact, they both depend on the overlapping length (LOV) between source/drain and the gate contacts. Here, we conduct a quantitative analysis based on a large number of flexible ultra-scaled IGZO TFTs. Devices with three different values of overlap length and channel length down to 0.5 μm are fabricated to experimentally investigate the scaling behavior of the transit frequency. Contact resistance and overlapping capacitance depend in opposite ways on LOV. These findings establish routes for the optimization of the dimension of source/drain contact pads and suggest design guidelines to achieve megahertz operation in flexible IGZO TFTs and circuits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years new forms of electronic devices such as electronic papers, flexible displays, epidermal sensors, and smart textiles have become reality. Thin-film transistors (TFTs) are the basic blocks of the circuits used in such devices and need to operate above 100 MHz to efficiently treat signals in RF systems and address pixels in high resolution displays. Beyond the choice of the semiconductor, i.e., silicon, graphene, organics, or amorphous oxides, the junctionless nature of TFTs and its geometry imply some limitations which become evident and important in devices with scaled channel length. Furthermore, the mechanical instability of flexible substrates limits the feature size of flexible TFTs. Contact resistance and overlapping capacitance are two parasitic effects which limit the transit frequency of transistors. They are often considered independent, while a deeper analysis of TFTs geometry imposes to handle them together; in fact, they both depend on the overlapping length (LOV) between source/drain and the gate contacts. Here, we conduct a quantitative analysis based on a large number of flexible ultra-scaled IGZO TFTs. Devices with three different values of overlap length and channel length down to 0.5 im are fabricated to experimentally investigate the scaling behavior of the transit frequency. Contact resistance and overlapping capacitance depend in opposite ways on LOV. These findings establish routes for the optimization of the dimension of source/drain contact pads and suggest design guidelines to achieve megahertz operation in flexible IGZO TFTs and circuits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The precise monitoring of environmental contaminants and agricultural plant stress factors, respectively responsible for damages to our ecosystems and crop losses, has nowadays become a topic of uttermost importance. This is also highlighted by the recent introduction of the so-called "Sustainable Development Goals" of the United Nations, which aim at reducing pollutants while implementing more sustainable food production practices, leading to a reduced impact on all ecosystems. In this context, the standard methods currently used in these fields represent a sub-optimal solution, being expensive, laboratory-based techniques, and typically requiring trained personnel with high expertise. Recent advances in both biotechnology and material science have led to the emergence of new sensing (and biosensing) technologies, enabling low-cost, precise, and real-time detection. An especially interesting category of biosensors is represented by field-effect transistor-based biosensors (bio-FETs), which enable the possibility of performing in situ, continuous, selective, and sensitive measurements of a wide palette of different parameters of interest. Furthermore, bio-FETs offer the possibility of being fabricated using innovative and sustainable materials, employing various device configurations, each customized for a specific application. In the specific field of environmental and agricultural monitoring, the exploitation of these devices is particularly attractive as it paves the way to early detection and intervention strategies useful to limit, or even completely avoid negative outcomes (such as diseases to animals or ecosystems losses). This review focuses exactly on bio-FETs for environmental and agricultural monitoring, highlighting the recent and most relevant studies. First, bio-FET technology is introduced, followed by a detailed description of the the most commonly employed configurations, the available device fabrication techniques, as well as the specific materials and recognition elements. Then, examples of studies employing bio-FETs for environmental and agricultural monitoring are presented, highlighting in detail advantages and disadvantages of available examples. Finally, in the discussion, the major challenges to be overcome (e.g., short device lifetime, small sensitivity and selectivity in complex media) are critically presented. Despite the current limitations and challenges, this review clearly shows that bio-FETs are extremely promising for new and disruptive innovations in these areas and others. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, we investigate the charge trapping behavior in InGaZnO4 (IGZO) thin-film transistors with amorphous Al2O3 (alumina) gate insulators. For thicknesses ∼10 nm, we observe a positive charge generation at intrinsic defects inside the Al2O3, which is initiated by quantum-mechanical tunneling of electrons from the semiconductor through the Al2O3 layer. Consequently, the drain current shows a counter-clockwise hysteresis. Furthermore, the de-trapping through resonant tunneling causes a drastic subthreshold swing reduction. We report a minimum value of 19mV/dec at room temperature, which is far below the fundamental limit of standard field-effect transistors. Additionally, we study the thickness dependence for Al2O3 layers with thicknesses of 5, 10, and 20 nm. The comparison of two different gate metals shows an enhanced tunneling current and an enhanced positive charge generation for Cu compared to Cr. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, we propose a novel disposable flexible and screen-printed electrochemical aptamer-based sensor (aptasensor) for the rapid detection of chlorpyrifos (CPF). To optimize the process, various characterization procedures were employed, including Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), and cyclic voltammetry (CV). Initially, the aptasensor was optimized in terms of electrolyte pH, aptamer concentration, and incubation time for chlorpyrifos. Under optimal conditions, the aptasensor showed a wide linear range from 1 to 105 ng/mL with a calculated limit of detection as low as 0.097 ng/mL and sensitivity of 600.9 µA/ng. Additionally, the selectivity of the aptasensor was assessed by identifying any interference from other pesticides, which were found to be negligible (with a maximum standard deviation of 0.31 mA). Further, the stability of the sample was assessed over time, where the reported device showed high stability over a period of two weeks at 4 °C. As the last step, the ability of the aptasensor to detect chlorpyrifos in actual samples was evaluated by testing it on banana and grape extracts. As a result, the device demonstrated sufficient recovery rates, which indicate that it can find application in the food industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] p-Type semiconducting NiO is deposited by room temperature sputtering. [•] NiO and IGZO are used to fabricate pn diodes on free-standing plastic substrate. [•] Tensile and compressive strain induced by bending is applied to the flexible diodes. [•] Application under strain is demonstrated by the rectification of a 50Hz AC signal. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: In this paper, the concept of double gate transistors is applied to mechanically flexible amorphous indium–gallium–zinc-oxide (a-IGZO) thin film transistors (TFTs) fabricated on free standing plastic foil. Due to the temperature sensitivity of the plastic substrate, a-IGZO is a suitable semiconductor because it provides carrier mobilities around 10cm2/Vs when deposited at room temperature. Double gate TFTs with connected bottom and top gate are compared to bottom gate reference TFTs fabricated on the same substrate. Double gate a-IGZO TFTs exhibit a by 78% increased gate capacitance, a by 700mV higher threshold voltage, and therefore an up to 92% increased transconductance when characterized at the same gate voltage above threshold (over-bias voltage). The subthreshold swing and the on/off current ratios are improved as well, and reach excellent values of 69mV/dec and 2×109, respectively. The mechanical flexibility of double gate TFTs compared to bottom gate TTFs is investigated, and device operation is shown while the double gate TFT is exposed to tensile strain of 0.55%, induced by bending to a radius of 5mm. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Nowadays, there is a high demand for sensitive and selective real-time analytical methods suitable for a wide range of applications, from personalized telemedicine, drug discovery, food safety, and quality control, to defense, security, as well as environmental monitoring. Biosensors are analytical devices able to detect bio-chemical analytes (e.g., neurotransmitters, cancer biomarkers, bio-molecules, and ions), through the combination of a bio-recognition element and a bio-transduction device. The use of customized bio-recognition elements such as enzymes, antibodies, aptamers, and ion-selective membranes facilitates achieving high selectivity. Among the different bio-transduction devices currently available, electrolyte-gated field-effect transistors, in which the dielectric is represented by an ionic liquid buffer solution containing the targeted analyte, are gaining increasing attention. Indeed, these bio-transduction devices are characterized by superior electronic properties and intrinsic signal amplification that allow the detection of a wide range of bio-molecules with high sensitivity (down to pM concentration). A promising semiconducting material for bio-transduction devices is represented by carbon nanotubes, due to their unique electrical properties, nanosize, bio-compatibility, and their simple low-cost processability. This work provides a comprehensive and critical review of electrolyte-gated carbon nanotube field-effect transistor-based biosensors. First, an introduction to these bio-sensing devices is given. Next, the device configurations and operating principles are presented, and the most used materials and processes are reviewed with a particular focus on carbon nanotubes as the active material. Subsequently, different functionalization strategies reported in the literature, based on enzymes, antibodies, aptamers, and ion-selective membranes, are analyzed critically. Finally, present issues and challenges faced in the area are investigated, the conclusions are drawn, and a perspective outlook over the field of bio-sensing technologies, in general, is provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Strawberry is one of the most popular fruits in the market. To meet the demanding consumer and market quality standards, there is a strong need for an on-site, accurate and reliable grading system during the whole harvesting process. In this work, a total of 923 strawberry fruit were measured directly on-plant at different ripening stages by means of bioimpedance data, collected at frequencies between 20 Hz and 300 kHz. The fruit batch was then splitted in 2 classes (i.e. ripe and unripe) based on surface color data. Starting from these data, six of the most commonly used supervised machine learning classification techniques, i.e. Logistic Regression (LR), Binary Decision Trees (DT), Naive Bayes Classifiers (NBC), K-Nearest Neighbors (KNN), Support Vector Machine (SVM) and Multi-Layer Perceptron Networks (MLP), were employed, optimized, tested and compared in view of their performance in predicting the strawberry fruit ripening stage. Such models were trained to develop a complete feature selection and optimization pipeline, not yet available for bioimpedance data analysis of fruit. The classification results highlighted that, among all the tested methods, MLP networks had the best performances on the test set, with 0.72, 0.82 and 0.73 for the F 1 , F 0.5 and F 2 -score, respectively, and improved the training results, showing good generalization capability, adapting well to new, previously unseen data. Consequently, the MLP models, trained with bioimpedance data, are a promising alternative for real-time estimation of strawberry ripeness directly on-field, which could be a potential application technique for evaluating the harvesting time management for farmers and producers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Amongst the new materials studied for the fabrication of high-performance flexible thin-film transistors (TFTs), amorphous indium-gallium-zinc-oxide (a-IGZO) exhibits a combination of advantages that enables its application in commercial electronics. Hence, it is crucial to understand the electrical stability of a-IGZO TFTs over long periods of time. In this work, we present the effects of long-term aging on Al2O3 passivated and unpassivated flexible a-IGZO TFTs over a period of 80 months (≈ 6.5 years). It is found that although remaining functional, these devices are influenced by different instability effects. More specifically, positive gate bias stress experiments indicate that the Al2O3 passivation layer contributes to the degradation of the devices’ performance. These results show that the Al2O3 passivation, although beneficial to the initial device stability, does not prevent the degradation of the passivated devices in comparison with their unpassivated counterparts after long periods of storage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The research interest towards wearable sensing devices has rapidly increased in recent years, due to the importance that personalized healthcare monitoring has gained in our everyday life. In this context, electrolyte-gated field-effect transistors (EG-FETs) for sensing applications are receiving increasing attention, owing to their intrinsic signal amplification and low operating voltages. Here, we report carbon nanotube EG-FETs (EG-CNTFET)-based sensors, functionalized with a nonactin-based ion-selective membrane for operation in an aqueous environment. In particular, we show a facile data analysis protocol to obtain a highly stable baseline response (i.e., 60 min) required for sensing applications. We successfully employ our EG-CNTFET-based sensors for the detection of ammonium (NH 4 +) in water, as well as in complex artificial sweat medium. Furthermore, we show how conditioning the membranes in artificial sweat significantly reduces the variability of the sensors. We achieve sensitivity as high as 1.797 μ A/decade, with the linear range of the sensors entirely covering the physiological concentrations of NH 4 + in sweat. We also show how increasing the nonactin concentration (from 0.2 to 1% wt) improves the sensors' sensitivity by a factor of 2. [Display omitted] • Electrolyte-gated carbon nanotube field-effect transistors (EG-CNTFET)-based sensors. • Facile data analysis protocol to address the well-known instability of EG-CNTFETs. • Selective detection of ammonium in highly complex ionic environment i.e., sweat. • Comparison of the sensitivities of devices with different fabrication workflows. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In the field of flexible electronics, emerging applications require biocompatible and unobtrusive devices, which can withstand different modes of mechanical deformation and achieve low complexity in the fabrication process. Here, the fabrication of a mesa‐shaped elastomeric substrate, supporting thin‐film transistors (TFTs) and logic circuits (inverters), is reported. High‐relief structures are designed to minimize the strain experienced by the electronics, which are fabricated directly on the pillars' surface. In this design configuration, devices based on amorphous indium‐gallium‐zinc‐oxide can withstand different modes of deformation. Bending, stretching, and twisting experiments up to 6 mm radius, 20% uniaxial strain, and 180° global twisting, respectively, are performed to show stable electrical performance of the TFTs. Similarly, a fully integrated digital inverter is tested while stretched up to 20% elongation. As a proof of the versatility of mesa‐shaped geometry, a biocompatible and stretchable sensor for temperature mapping is also realized. Using pectin, which is a temperature‐sensitive material present in plant cells, the response of the sensor shows current modulation from 13 to 28 °C and functionality up to 15% strain. These results demonstrate the performance of highly flexible electronics for a broad variety of applications, including smart skin and health monitoring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Besides efficiently generating energy, thanks to its unique design and its remarkable feature it can be utilized for biomechanical sensing applications, such as breath rate and pulse rate monitoring and gait analysis. Breath sensors, energy harvesters, gait analysis, pulse detectors, smart wearables, triboelectric nanogenerators Keywords: breath sensors; energy harvesters; gait analysis; pulse detectors; smart wearables; triboelectric nanogenerators EN breath sensors energy harvesters gait analysis pulse detectors smart wearables triboelectric nanogenerators 1 1 1 07/14/23 20230710 NES 230710 B Triboelectric Nanogenerator b Triboelectric nanogenerator is an innovative double-layer ridged structure with exceptional capabilities for powering and integrating low-energy electronics seamlessly into various wearable and healthcare devices, as demonstrated by Raheel Riaz, Luisa Petti, and co-workers in article 2202106. [Extracted from the article]

Recent advances in biomaterials, thin film processing, and nanofabrication offer the opportunity to design electronics with novel and unique capabilities, including high mechanical stability and biodegradation, which are relevant in medical implants, environmental sensors, and wearable and disposable devices. Combining reliable electrical performance with high mechanical deformation and chemical degradation remains still challenging. This work reports temperature sensors whose material composition enables full biodegradation while the layout and ultrathin format ensure a response time of 10 ms and stable operation demonstrated by a resistance variation of less than 0.7% when the devices are crumpled, folded, and stretched up to 10%. Magnesium microstructures are encapsulated by a compostable-certified flexible polymer which exhibits small swelling rate and a Young's modulus of about 500 MPa which approximates that of muscles and cartilage. The extension of the design from a single sensor to an array and its integration onto a fluidic device, made of the same polymer, provides routes for a smart biodegradable system for flow mapping. Proper packaging of the sensors tunes the dissolution dynamics to a few days in water while the connection to a Bluetooth module demonstrates wireless operation with 200 mK resolution prospecting application in food tracking and in medical postsurgery monitoring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we present a novel method to reduce the subthreshold swing (SS) of FETs below 60 mV/decade. Through modeling, we directly relate trap charge movement between the gate electrode and the gate dielectric to SS reduction. We experimentally investigate the impact of charge exchange between a Cu gate electrode and a 5-nm-thick amorphous Al2O3 gate dielectric in an InGaZnO4 thin-film transistor. Positive trap charges are generated inside the gate dielectric while the semiconductor is in accumulation. During the subsequent detrapping, the SS diminishes to a minimum value of 46 mV/decade at room temperature. Furthermore, we relate the charge trapping/detrapping effects to a negative capacitance behavior of the Cu/Al2O3 metal–insulator structure. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Green Electronics In article number 2210422, by using a low‐cost CO2 laser on fruit‐based papers, Giuseppe Cantarella and co‐workers report the fabrication of green and biocompatible electronic devices. The employment of natural and plastic‐free materials gives rise to a sustainable and circular technology, allowing electronics recycling, with no waste creation, and reintroduction in nature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Keywords: circular and sustainable electronics; flexible electronics; green electronics; healthcare; laser-induced electronics; papers EN circular and sustainable electronics flexible electronics green electronics healthcare laser-induced electronics papers 1 1 1 04/27/23 20230425 NES 230425 B Green Electronics b In article number 2210422, by using a low-cost CO SB 2 sb laser on fruit-based papers, Giuseppe Cantarella and co-workers report the fabrication of green and biocompatible electronic devices. Circular and sustainable electronics, flexible electronics, green electronics, healthcare, laser-induced electronics, papers The employment of natural and plastic-free materials gives rise to a sustainable and circular technology, allowing electronics recycling, with no waste creation, and reintroduction in nature. [Extracted from the article]

[Display omitted] • Stable PPC electrospun fibres loaded with cinnamon essential oil. • PEDOD:PSS layer renders them electrically conductive. • PNIPAM top inhibits essential oil release at normal storage conditions. • Essential oil release occurs upon electrical stimulation, at T > 32 °C. • Antioxidant properties upon external stimulus. A delivery platform of active compounds on demand has been developed, composed of a flexible mat of CO 2 -derived poly (propylene carbonate) (PPC) electrospun fibers, loaded with antioxidant cinnamon essential oil (CEO), covered with poly(3,4-ethylene dioxythiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) and poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM). The PEDOT:PSS layer rendered the device electrically conductive, enabling a temperature increase upon the application of a voltage. A thin layer of PNIPAM provided a barrier against the release of the essential oil at normal storage conditions and permitted the release when the temperature of the device exceeded the lower critical solution temperature (LCST) of PNIPAM at 32 °C. Electrical transport measurements showed that a temperature higher than LCST was reached by applying 2 V, at ambient conditions, and 2.6 V at 4 °C. The contact angle of the device changed from 27° below the LCST to 64° above the LCST, demonstrating the action of PNIPAM. The release of the CEO at 20 °C (below the LCST) was negligible, while at 40 °C (above the LCST) it increased to more than 60%, resulting in radical scavenging activity of 95%. These results indicate that the proposed device can be incorporated in active food packaging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The fabrication of electronic devices, such as gas sensors on flexible polymer substrates, enables the use of electronics in applications where conventional devices on stiff substrates could not be used. We demonstrate the development of a new intra-tube electronic-nose (e-nose) gas sensor device with multiple sensors fabricated and integrated on a flexible substrate. For this purpose, we developed a new method of fabricating a sensor array of four gas sensors on a flexible polymer substrate. The method allowed the use of lithography techniques to pattern different polymers with a broad range of solubility parameters. Conductive polymer composites were used as a gas sensitive layer due to the high stretchability of the material. Each of the 30 e-nose devices on one substrate was designed to fit on a polymer strip with a width of 2 mm. A single e-nose strip was successfully integrated into the inlet tube of a gas-measurement apparatus with an inner-tube diameter of 3 mm. Using the e-nose, we were able to differentiate between four different volatile solvent vapors. The tube-integrated e-nose outperformed a chamber-integrated e-nose of the same type in terms of response time and flow-rate influences. The sensor array inside the tube showed a faster response time and detected short pulses of analyte exposure compared to the same sensor array outside of the tube. We measured gas flow rates from 1,000 to 30 sccm without significant changes in sensor performance using this intra-tube e-nose prototype. The tube could be bent to radii <15 mm with a sensor performance similar to an unbent sensor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tetracycline (TC) is a widely known antibiotic used worldwide to treat animals. Its residues in animal-origin foods cause adverse health effects to consumers. Low-cost and real-time measuring systems of TC in food samples are, therefore, extremely needed. In this work, a three-electrode sensitive and label-free sensor was developed to detect TC residues from milk and meat extract samples, using CO2 laser-induced graphene (LIG) electrodes modified with gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) and a molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) used as a synthetic biorecognition element. LIG was patterned on a polyimide (PI) substrate, reaching a minimum sheet resistance (Rsh) of 17.27 ± 1.04 Ω/sq. The o-phenylenediamine (oPD) monomer and TC template were electropolymerized on the surface of the LIG working electrode to form the MIP. Surface morphology and electrochemical techniques were used to characterize the formation of LIG and to confirm each modification step. The sensitivity of the sensor was evaluated by differential pulse voltammetry (DPV), leading to a limit of detection (LOD) of 0.32 nM, 0.85 nM, and 0.80 nM in buffer, milk, and meat extract samples, respectively, with a working range of 5 nM to 500 nM and a linear response range between 10 nM to 300 nM. The sensor showed good LOD (0.32 nM), reproducibility, and stability, and it can be used as an alternative system to detect TC from animal-origin food products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The substrate plays a key role in chemoresistive gas sensors. It acts as mechanical support for the sensing material, hosts the heating element and, also, aids the sensing material in signal transduction. In recent years, a significant improvement in the substrate production process has been achieved, thanks to the advances in micro- and nanofabrication for micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) technologies. In addition, the use of innovative materials and smaller low-power consumption silicon microheaters led to the development of high-performance gas sensors. Various heater layouts were investigated to optimize the temperature distribution on the membrane, and a suspended membrane configuration was exploited to avoid heat loss by conduction through the silicon bulk. However, there is a lack of comprehensive studies focused on predictive models for the optimization of the thermal and mechanical properties of a microheater. In this work, three microheater layouts in three membrane sizes were developed using the microfabrication process. The performance of these devices was evaluated to predict their thermal and mechanical behaviors by using both experimental and theoretical approaches. Finally, a statistical method was employed to cross-correlate the thermal predictive model and the mechanical failure analysis, aiming at microheater design optimization for gas-sensing applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Furaneol is a widely used flavoring agent, which can be naturally found in different products, such as strawberries or thermally processed foods. This is why it is extremely important to detect furaneol in the food industry using ultra-sensitive, stable, and selective sensors. In this context, electrochemical biosensors are particularly attractive as they provide a cheap and reliable alternative measurement device. Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) have been extensively investigated as suitable materials to effectively increase the sensitivity of the biosensors. However, a comparison of the performance of biosensors employing CNTs and AgNPs is still missing. Herein, the effect of CNTs and AgNPs on the biosensor performance has been thoughtfully analyzed. Therefore, disposable flexible and screen printed electrochemical aptasensor modified with CNTs (CNT-ME), or AgNPs (AgNP-ME) have been developed. Under optimized conditions, CNT-MEs showed better performance compared to AgNP-ME, yielding a linear range of detection over a dynamic concentration range of 1 fM–35 μM and 2 pM–200 nM, respectively, as well as high selectivity towards furaneol. Finally, our aptasensor was tested in a real sample (strawberry) and validated with high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), showing that it could find an application in the food industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Low-cost setup allows tracking the aging evolution of different fruit. • Bio-impedance data fit the response of a low-complexity equivalent circuit. • Warburg element properly models the electrode-fruit interface. • Circuit parameters trends explain the fruit physiological changes in time. The evaluation of fruit quality from the field to the table, through its storage, handling and transport has become of paramount importance to meet production and consumers demands. For this purpose, fast, reliable and low-cost non-destructive techniques are highly desirable, to avoid food waste and allow a real-time decision making. Among non-destructive techniques, Electrical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS) has shown great potential due to the possibility to correlate the physio-chemical evolution of the fruit to changes of electrical parameters. In this paper, the effect of ageing on apples and bananas during 13 d at room temperature was studied using a microcontroller-based EIS system, in a frequency range from 100 Hz to 85 kHz. The bio-impedance changes were evaluated over time and the influence of the applied frequencies on its variation was investigated. Data were fitted with a proposed equivalent circuit, modelling both the interaction between the fruit and the sensor and the flow of current in the samples tissues. To validate the results, the circuit parameter changes were physiologically explained and the fitting compared with models found in literature. The results highlighted the potential of this non-destructive technique for monitoring the ripening and senescence of fruit, obtaining a good correlation of the impedance evolution with the low frequency points. The model fitting resulted in a Root Mean Squared Error (RMSE), for apples (376.5 Ω - 2.66%) and bananas (110.8 Ω - 2.82%), was comparable or better than best literature models. Finally, changes of circuit component values over time was explained for the electrode-fruit interaction and for the current flow in the plant tissues, giving a better insight of fruit ripening and senescence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Detection of mycotoxins, especially aflatoxin M1 (AFM1), in milk is crucial to be able to guarantee food quality and safety. In recent years, biosensors have been emerging as a fast, reliable and low-cost technique for the detection of this toxin. In this work, flexible biosensors were fabricated using dispense-printed electrodes, which were functionalized with single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) and subsequently coated with specific antibodies to improve their sensitivity. Next, the immunosensor was tested for the detection of AFM1 in buffer solution and a spiked milk sample using a chronoamperometric technique. Results showed that the working range of the sensors was 0.01 µg/L at minimum and 1 µg/L at maximum in both buffer and spiked milk. The lower limit of detection of the SWCNT-functionalized sensor was 0.02 µg/L, which indicates an improved sensitivity compared to the sensors reported so far. The sensitivity and detection range were in accordance with the limitation values imposed by regulations on milk and its products. Therefore, considering the low fabrication cost, the ease of operation, and the rapid read-out, the use of this sensor could contribute to safeguarding consumers' health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]