journal article Open Access Feb 19, 2025

A Review of Thin-Film Growth, Properties, Applications, and Future Prospects

Processes Vol. 13 No. 2 pp. 587 · MDPI AG
View at Publisher Save 10.3390/pr13020587
Abstract
This review article’s primary aim is to discuss different thin-film deposition technique methods and their important uses. The histories of thin-film technology, thin-film growth, thin-film classification, and thin-film preparation techniques are also covered in this review article. The preparation and characterization of functional thin films and nanostructured materials, as well as various devices based on these materials and recent developments are also focused on in this review. The properties of the materials and several thin-film deposition techniques are also covered in this article. This review article also discusses the classification and application of thin-film sensors. Furthermore, the formation of thin films and their physical properties are impacted by deposition conditions such as pH, temperature, deposition time, and deposition parameters, which are analyzed. This article discusses how a wide range of potential uses in structural, mechanical, and protective coatings; sensing; energy storage systems; catalysis; optoelectronics; and biomedicine are made possible by the special qualities of thin films and nanostructured materials, including their high surface area to volume ratio, structure, surface charge, anisotropic nature, and tunable functionalities.
Topics

No keywords indexed for this article. Browse by subject →

References
201
[1]
Abou-Ras, D., Kirchartz, T., and Rau, U. (2016). Advanced Characterization Techniques for Thin Film Solar Cells, Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA. 10.1002/9783527699025
[2]
Raut "Anti-reflective coatings: A critical, in-depth review" Energy Environ. Sci. (2011) 10.1039/c1ee01297e
[3]
McDonnell "Atomically-thin layered films for device applications based upon 2DTMDC materials" Thin Solid Films (2016) 10.1016/j.tsf.2016.08.068
[4]
Lee "Characterization of microcrystalline silicon thin film solar cells prepared by high working pressure plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition" J. Electroceramics (2014) 10.1007/s10832-014-9929-x
[5]
Khan, H.F.H.R. (2015). Handbook of Thin-Film Technology, Springer.
[6]
Chiu "Effect of substrate size on crystalline Orientation and Electrical Properties of (Bi, La)4Ti3O12 Thin Films" J. Ceram. Soc. Jpn. (2004) 10.2109/jcersj.112.266
[7]
Chiu "Growth of b-axis oriented VO2 thin films on glass substrates using ZnO buffer layer" Appl. Surf. Sci. (2010) 10.1016/j.apsusc.2010.04.097
[8]
Chiu "Growth of highly (001)-textured strontium barium niobate thin films on epitaxial LaNiO3/CeO2/YSZ/Si(100)" Thin Solid Films (2003) 10.1016/s0040-6090(02)01304-4
[9]
Chiu "Microstructure of orientation controlled VO2 thin films via ZnO buffer" Thin Solid Films (2013) 10.1016/j.tsf.2012.02.034
[10]
Chiu "Study of Interactions of Hf and SiO2 Film for High-k Materials" Jpn. J. Appl. Phys. (2006) 10.1143/jjap.45.6253
[11]
Cranston "Metal phthalocyanines: Thin-film formation, microstructure, and physical properties" RSC Adv. (2021) 10.1039/d1ra03853b
[12]
Elanjeitsenni "A review on thin films, conducting polymers as sensor devices" Mater. Res. Express (2022) 10.1088/2053-1591/ac4aa1
[13]
Chiu "Electrical properties of vanadium doped Bi-LaTi-O thin films derived by chemical solution deposition method" Integr. Ferroelectr. (2002) 10.1080/713718280
[14]
Chiu "Preparation and properties of CuCr1−xFexO2 thin films prepared by chemical solution deposition with two-step annealing" Thin Solid Films (2016) 10.1016/j.tsf.2016.03.048
[15]
Chiu "Preparation of p-type conductive transparent CuCrO2:Mg thin films by chemical solution deposition with two-step annealing" Ceram. Int. (2012) 10.1016/j.ceramint.2011.09.048
[16]
Forgerini, F.L., and Marchiori, R. (2014). A brief review of mathematical models of thin film growth and surfaces. Biomatter, 4. 10.4161/biom.28871
[17]
Zhang "Atomistic processes in the early stages of thin-film growth" Science (1997) 10.1126/science.276.5311.377
[18]
Budida "Review of thin film deposition and techniques" Mater. Today Proc. (2023) 10.1016/j.matpr.2023.05.004
[19]
Gilmer "Thin film deposition: Fundamentals and modeling" Comput. Mater. Sci. (1998) 10.1016/s0927-0256(98)00022-6
[20]
Workie "An comprehensive review on the spray pyrolysis technique: Historical context, operational factors, classifications, and product applications" J. Anal. Appl. Pyrol. (2023) 10.1016/j.jaap.2023.105915
[21]
Rossnagel "Thin film deposition with physical vapor deposition and related technologies" J. Vac. Sci. Technol. A (2003) 10.1116/1.1600450
[22]
Chen, X., Dai, W., Wu, T., Luo, W., Yang, J., Jiang, W., and Wang, L. (2018). Thin film thermoelectric materials: Classification, characterization, and potential for wearable applications. Coatings, 8. 10.3390/coatings8070244
[23]
Lee "Synthesis and Photocatalytic Property of ZnO nanoparticles Prepared by Spray-Pyrolysis Method" Phys. Procedia (2012) 10.1016/j.phpro.2012.03.563
[24]
Kunene "Review of atomic layer deposition process, application and modeling tools" Mater. Today Proc. (2022) 10.1016/j.matpr.2022.02.094
[25]
Gaspari "Thin Films" Compr. Energy Syst. (2018) 10.1016/b978-0-12-809597-3.00214-5
[26]
Pedersen "Green CVD Toward a sustainable philosophy for thin film deposition by chemical vapor deposition" J. Vac. Sci. Technol. A. (2021) 10.1116/6.0001125
[27]
Maruyama "Titanium dioxide thin films prepared by chemical vapor deposition" Sol. Energy Mater. Sol. Cells (1992) 10.1016/0927-0248(92)90051-p
[28]
Wang "A new strategy to prepare carbon nanotube thin film by the combination of top-down and bottom-up approaches" Carbon (2020) 10.1016/j.carbon.2020.01.090
[29]
Shah, A. (2010). Thin-Film Silicon Solar Cells, CRC Press. 10.1201/b16327
[30]
Jones, A.C., and Hitchman, M.L. (2009). Chemical Vapour Deposition: Precursors, Processes and Applications, RSC Publishing. 10.1039/9781847558794
[31]
Morosanu, C.E., and Siddall, G. (1990). Thin Films by Chemical Vapour Deposition, Elsevier.
[32]
Venables, J. (2000). Introduction to Surfaces and Thin Film Processes, Cambridge University Press. 10.1017/cbo9780511755651
[33]
Revathi "Annealing effect for SnS thin films prepared by high-vacuum evaporation" J. Vac. Sci. Technol. A (2014) 10.1116/1.4896334
[34]
Safarian "Vacuum evaporation of pure metals" Metall. Mater. Trans. A (2013) 10.1007/s11661-012-1464-2
[35]
Tan "Metallic nanoparticle inks for 3D printing of electronics" Adv. Electron. Mater. (2019) 10.1002/aelm.201800831
[36]
Liu "Silver nanoparticles prepared by chemical reduction-protection method, and their application in electrically conductive silver nanopaste" J. Alloys Compd. (2010) 10.1016/j.jallcom.2010.01.079
[37]
Pudas "Gravure printing of conductive particulate polymer inks on flexible substrates" Prog. Org. Coat. (2005) 10.1016/j.porgcoat.2005.07.008
[38]
Chen "Highly stretchable and conductive silver nanowire thin films formed by soldering nano mesh junctions" Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys. (2014) 10.1039/c4cp02808b
[39]
Li "Highly conductive Nb doped BaSnO3 thin films on MgO substrates by pulsed laser deposition" J. Alloys Compd. (2016) 10.1016/j.jallcom.2016.04.157
[40]
Kikuchi "Characteristics of thin film growth in the synthesis of diamond by chemical vapour deposition and application of the thin film synthesis technology for tools" Mater. Sci. Eng. A (1988) 10.1016/0025-5416(88)90739-2
[41]
Atomic Layer Deposition: An Overview

Steven M. George

Chemical Reviews 2009 10.1021/cr900056b
[42]
Sun "Chemical vapour deposition" Nat. Rev. Methods Primers (2021) 10.1038/s43586-020-00005-y
[43]
Hitchman "Studies of TiO2 thin films prepared by chemical vapor deposition for photocatalytic and photo electrocatalytic degradation of 4-chlorophenol" J. Electroanal. Chem. (2002) 10.1016/s0022-0728(02)01252-4
[44]
Maruyama "Copper oxide thin films prepared by chemical vapor deposition from copper dipivaloyl methanate" Sol. Energy Mater. Sol. Cells (1998) 10.1016/s0927-0248(98)00128-7
[45]
Fouad "Zinc oxide thin films prepared by thermal evaporation deposition and its photocatalytic activity" Appl. Catal. B Environ. (2006) 10.1016/j.apcatb.2005.07.006
[46]
Hasim "Synthesis and characterization of ZnO thin films by thermal evaporation" J. Phys. Chem. Solids (2009) 10.1016/j.jpcs.2009.09.013
[47]
Chiu "Antibacterial property of CuCrO2 thin films prepared by RF magnetron sputtering deposition" Vacuum (2013) 10.1016/j.vacuum.2012.04.026
[48]
Chen "Fabrication of transparent CuCrO2:Mg/ZnO p–n junctions prepared by magnetron sputtering on an indium tin oxide glass substrate" Jpn. J. Appl. Phys. (2013) 10.7567/jjap.52.05ec02
[49]
Chiu "Preparation of transparent Cu2Y2O5 thin films by RF magnetron sputtering" Appl. Surf. Sci. (2015) 10.1016/j.apsusc.2015.02.129
[50]
Yang "The novel preparation method of high-performance thermochromic vanadium dioxide thin films by thermal oxidation of vanadium stainless steel co-sputtered films" Vacuum (2015) 10.1016/j.vacuum.2015.05.001

Showing 50 of 201 references

Metrics
55
Citations
201
References
Details
Published
Feb 19, 2025
Vol/Issue
13(2)
Pages
587
License
View
Authors
Funding
National Science and Technology Council Award: NSTC 113-2221-E- 027-033-
National Taipei University of Technology–King Mongkut’s Institute of Technology Ladkrabang Joint Research Program Award: NSTC 113-2221-E- 027-033-
Cite This Article
Subramanian Sakthinathan, Ganesh Abinaya Meenakshi, Sivaramakrishnan Vinothini, et al. (2025). A Review of Thin-Film Growth, Properties, Applications, and Future Prospects. Processes, 13(2), 587. https://doi.org/10.3390/pr13020587
Related

You May Also Like

DPPH Radical Scavenging Assay

İlhami Gulçin, Saleh H. Alwasel · 2023

946 citations

Alkaline Water Electrolysis Powered by Renewable Energy: A Review

Jörn Brauns, Thomas Turek · 2020

696 citations

A Review of Stereolithography: Processes and Systems

Junxi Huang, Qin Qin · 2020

504 citations

Various Approaches for the Detoxification of Toxic Dyes in Wastewater

Abdulmohsen K. D. Alsukaibi · 2022

357 citations

Metal Ions, Metal Chelators and Metal Chelating Assay as Antioxidant Method

İlhami Gulçin, Saleh H. Alwasel · 2022

343 citations