Exploring Electro-active Functionality of Transparent Oxide Materials

Ceramics, one of the earliest materials used by humans, have been used since the Stone Age and are also one of the core materials supporting modern society. In this article, I will review the features of transparent oxides, the main components of ceramics, and the progress of research on their electro-active functionalities from the viewpoint of material design. Specifically, the emergence of the functionality of the cement component 12CaO·7Al2O3, the application of transparent oxide semiconductors to thin-film transistors for flat panel displays, and the design of wide-gap p-type semiconductors are introduced along with the progress in their research. In addition, oxide semiconductors are comprehensively discussed on the basis of the band lineup.