Thin film devices are used in optics, semiconductors, mirrors, and medicine. They are made from different metals and compounds and can change the properties of light or conduct low levels of electric current. Thin films can also be used to deliver medicines.
There are several types of thin film devices. This technology is widely used in optical devices and semiconductors, although there are other applications as well. The extremely thin films used are created from a variety of different metals and compounds, each with its own properties and applications.
In the field of optics, thin film devices used are in the form of various optical filters. These filters are common in photography, telescopes, and microscopes, and different types of thin films are deposited on glass or plastic filters designed to change the properties of the light that passes through. Some filters can enhance light as it is refracted through the lens, while others can dim it. Filters can be made to affect only a narrow range of wavelengths or the entire spectrum of visible light.
A semiconductor is another possible type of thin film device. These devices conduct low levels of electric current. Thin film semiconductors can be made from different materials which determine the amount and level of current the device conducts. Devices like these are used in the fields of microelectronics, microcircuits and integrated circuits.
One thin-film device that many people are familiar with is the mirror. Many mirrors are made of a thin film of a reflective substance, such as aluminum, which is attached to a glass substrate. Aluminum reflects an image that passes through a glass plate. Double-sided mirrors and two-way mirrors are two other types of thin-film devices that use a glass substrate and a thin film of reflective metal.
Another fairly common type of thin-film device is the dye-sensitized solar cell. These solar cells use a thin film semiconductor containing a dye that is sensitive to solar radiation. As the dye absorbs the photons, it creates an electric charge that passes through the semiconductor, transferring energy to a battery connected to the solar cell.
In medicine, new types of thin-film devices are being introduced to the market. Thin films can be used to deliver medicines when they are dissolved on the tongue or inside the stomach or intestines. The film allows the drug to enter the bloodstream quickly without the need to swallow pills or liquid suspensions. These thin-film devices offer an alternative to traditional methods of drug delivery and can help patients who are unable to swallow.
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