Recent Advances in Metal Oxide Semiconductor-Based Electronics: A Review

Abstract

Metal oxide semiconductors have become central to the evolution of next-generation electronics, offering a unique combination of high carrier mobility, optical transparency, and compatibility with low-temperature fabrication. Their intrinsic structural versatility and defect controllability enable precise tuning of electronic properties, allowing a seamless transition from amorphous to nanocrystalline phases. Recent research has focused on the convergence of material design and device engineering, leading to metal oxide thin-film transistors (TFTs) with improved stability, scalability, and mechanical resilience. In this review, the current states of progress and device optimization strategies on the development of the metal oxide semiconductors and their applications are summarized. Strategies such as metal-induced crystallization, bilayer channel architectures, and compositional modulation have emerged as powerful approaches to overcome the long-standing trade-off between mobility and bias stability. These advances not only enhance the electrical robustness of metal oxide TFTs but also expand their applicability to flexible and transparent platforms for advanced display backplanes, including virtual and augmented reality systems. Beyond display applications, the versatile defect chemistry of metal oxides offers new opportunities for data storage and neuromorphic memory. Charge-trapping and resistive-switching mechanisms in metal oxide-based memories enable nonvolatile, analog, and multilevel operation, while memristor characteristics and transistor-type synapses emulate biological learning behaviors through controllable ionic and electronic transport. These developments establish metal oxide semiconductors as a unifying materials platform that bridges conventional electronics and artificial intelligence hardware. Continued progress in defect control, interface design, and low-temperature crystallization will further accelerate their integration into highly adaptive, energy-efficient, and conformable electronic systems of the future.