Metal–organic frameworks (MOF) are a class of porous materials with various functions based on their host-guest chemistry. Their selectivity, diffusion kinetics, and catalytic activity are influenced by their design and synthetic procedure. The synthesis of different MOFs has been of considerable interest during the past decade thanks to their various applications in the arena of sensors, catalysts, adsorption, and electronic devices. Among the different techniques for the synthesis of MOFs, such as the solvothermal, sonochemical, ionothermal, and mechanochemical processes, microwave-assisted synthesis has clinched a significant place in MOF synthesis. The main assets of microwave-assisted synthesis are the short reaction time, the fast rate of nucleation, and the modified properties of MOFs. The review encompasses the development of the microwave-assisted synthesis of MOFs, their properties, and their applications in various fields.

Controlling built-in potential can enhance the photoresponse performance of self-powered photodetectors. Among the methods for controlling the built-in potential of self-powered devices, postannealing is simpler, more efficient, and less expensive than ion doping and alternative material research. In this study, a CuO film was deposited on a β-Ga₂O₃ epitaxial layer via reactive sputtering with an FTS system, and a self-powered solar-blind photodetector was fabricated through a CuO/β-Ga₂O₃ heterojunction and postannealed at different temperatures. The postannealing process reduced the defects and dislocations at the interface between each layer and affected the electrical and structural properties of the CuO film. After postannealing at 300 °C, the carrier concentration of the CuO film increased from 4.24 × 10¹⁸ to 1.36 × 10²⁰ cm⁻³, bringing the Fermi level toward the valence band of the CuO film and increasing the built-in potential of the CuO/β-Ga₂O₃ heterojunction. Thus, the photogenerated carriers were rapidly separated, increasing the sensitivity and response speed of the photodetector. The as-fabricated photodetector with 300 °C postannealing exhibited a photo-to-dark current ratio of 1.07 × 10³; responsivity and detectivity of 30.3 mA/W and 1.10 × 10¹² Jones, respectively; and fast rise and decay times of 12 ms and 14 ms, respectively. After three months of storage in an open-air space, the photocurrent density of the photodetector was maintained, indicating good stability with aging. These results suggest that the photocharacteristics of CuO/β-Ga₂O₃ heterojunction self-powered solar-blind photodetectors can be improved through built-in potential control using a postannealing process.

In this study, a high-photoresponsivity self-powered deep ultraviolet (DUV) photodetector based on an Ag₂O/β-Ga₂O₃ heterojunction was fabricated by depositing a p-type Ag₂O thin film onto an n-type β-Ga₂O₃ layer. The device characteristics after post-annealing at temperatures ranging from 0 to 400 °C were investigated. Our DUV devices exhibited typical rectification characteristics. At a post-annealing temperature of 300 °C, the as-fabricated device had a low leakage current of 4.24 × 10⁻¹¹ A, ideality factor of 2.08, and a barrier height of 1.12 eV. Moreover, a high photo-responsivity of 12.87 mA/W was obtained at a 100 μW/cm² light intensity at a 254 nm wavelength at zero bias voltage, the detectivity was 2.70 × 10¹¹ Jones, and the rise and fall time were 29.76, 46.73 ms, respectively. Based on these results, the Ag₂O/β-Ga₂O₃ heterojunction photodetector operates without an externally applied voltage and has high responsivity, which will help in the performance improvement of ultraviolet sensing systems.

In this study, β-Ga₂O₃ films were fabricated on a quartz substrate by the sol–gel method using different drying temperatures and solutions of different molar concentrations, and their structural, optical, and electrical properties were evaluated. The as-fabricated films exhibited a monoclinic β-Ga₂O₃ crystal structure, whose crystallinity and crystallite size increased with increasing molar concentration of the solutions used and increasing drying temperature. Scanning electron microscopy of the as-prepared samples revealed dense surface morphologies and that the thickness of the films also depended on the deposition conditions. The average transmittance of all the samples was above 8% in visible light, and the calculated optical bandgap energy was 4.9 eV. The resistivity measured using a 4-point probe system was 3.7 × 10³ Ω cm.