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Atomic layer deposition (ALD) technology is one of the cornerstones of the modern microelectronics industry, where it is exploited in the fabrication of high‐quality inorganic thin films with excellent precision for film thickness and conformality. Molecular layer deposition (MLD) is a counterpart of ALD for purely organic thin films. Both ALD and MLD rely on self‐limiting gas‐surface reactions of vaporized and sequentially pulsed precursors and are thus modular, meaning that different precursor pulsing cycles can be combined in an arbitrary manner for the growth of elaborated superstructures. This allows the fusion of different building blocks — either inorganic or organic — even with contradicting properties into a single thin‐film material, to realize unforeseen material functions which can ultimately lead to novel application areas. Most importantly, many of these precisely layer‐engineered materials with attractive interfacial properties are inaccessible to other synthesis/fabrication routes. In this review, the intention is to present the current state of research in the field by i) summarizing the ALD and MLD processes so far developed for the multilayer thin films, ii) highlighting the most intriguing material properties and potential application areas of these unique layer‐engineered materials, and iii) outlining the future perspectives for this approach. Atomic layer deposition (ALD) – leading thin‐film technology in microelectronics – and molecular layer deposition (MLD) – its counterpart for organic layers – can be combined in various ways into elaborated superlattice and nanolaminate structures, to enable novel functionalities and applications. This review highlights the current advancements and future possibilities in multilayer films through ALD and MLD.

Although the cerebellum is traditionally known for its role in motor functions, recent evidence points toward the additional involvement of the cerebellum in an array of non-motor functions. One such non-motor function is anxiety behavior: a series of recent studies now implicate the cerebellum in anxiety. Here, we review evidence regarding the possible role of the cerebellum in anxiety—ranging from clinical studies to experimental manipulation of neural activity—that collectively points toward a role for the cerebellum, and possibly a specific topographical locus within the cerebellum, as one of the orchestrators of anxiety responses.

In the past decade, atomic and molecular layer deposition (ALD and MLD), these two sister techniques have been attracting more and more research attention to address technical challenges in various advanced battery systems. The charm of both ALD and MLD lies in their unique mechanism for growing a large variety of functional materials, featuring uniform and conformal films enabled at the atomic/molecular level at low temperature. Using ALD and MLD, to date, there have been many excitements achieved in research. These will ultimately be reflected on technical innovations that will help revolutionize our lifestyles. This invited article gives the first comprehensive review briefing on the journey of ALD and MLD in pursuing better batteries and highlighting many exciting progresses in various advanced battery systems. It is expected that this review will help boost many more efforts in using ALD and MLD for new battery technologies in the coming decade.

HighlightsDrawing wisdom and inspiration from nature, an eco-mimetic nanoarchitecture is constructed, featuring tunable electromagnetic properties and high-efficiency energy attenuation.Through in-depth insight into the microstructure, the material basis of electromagnetic response is clearly revealed to establish an intrinsic connection between microscopic electronic structure and macroscopic electromagnetic properties.A creative self-powered energy conversion device is constructed, with the integrated functions including electromagnetic protection and waste energy recycling, which offers a new horizon for the fields of energy and environment.Advanced electromagnetic devices, as the pillars of the intelligent age, are setting off a grand transformation, redefining the structure of society to present pluralism and diversity. However, the bombardment of electromagnetic radiation on society is also increasingly serious along with the growing popularity of \"Big Data\". Herein, drawing wisdom and inspiration from nature, an eco-mimetic nanoarchitecture is constructed for the first time, highly integrating the advantages of multiple components and structures to exhibit excellent electromagnetic response. Its electromagnetic properties and internal energy conversion can be flexibly regulated by tailoring microstructure with oxidative molecular layer deposition (oMLD), providing a new cognition to frequency-selective microwave absorption. The optimal reflection loss reaches ≈  − 58 dB, and the absorption frequency can be shifted from high frequency to low frequency by increasing the number of oMLD cycles. Meanwhile, a novel electromagnetic absorption surface is designed to enable ultra-wideband absorption, covering almost the entire K and Ka bands. More importantly, an ingenious self-powered device is constructed using the eco-mimetic nanoarchitecture, which can convert electromagnetic radiation into electric energy for recycling. This work offers a new insight into electromagnetic protection and waste energy recycling, presenting a broad application prospect in radar stealth, information communication, aerospace engineering, etc.

Alkali metals (lithium, sodium, and potassium) are promising as anodes in emerging rechargeable batteries, ascribed to their high capacity or abundance. Two commonly experienced issues, however, have hindered them from commercialization: the dendritic growth of alkali metals during plating and the formation of solid electrolyte interphase due to contact with liquid electrolytes. Many technical strategies have been developed for addressing these two issues in the past decades. Among them, atomic and molecular layer deposition (ALD and MLD) have been drawing more and more efforts, owing to a series of their unique capabilities. ALD and MLD enable a variety of inorganic, organic, and even inorganic-organic hybrid materials, featuring accurate nanoscale controllability, low process temperature, and extremely uniform and conformal coverage. Consequently, ALD and MLD have paved a novel route for tackling the issues of alkali metal anodes. In this review, we have made a thorough survey on surface coatings via ALD and MLD, and comparatively analyzed their effects on improving the safety and stability of alkali metal anodes. We expect that this article will help boost more efforts in exploring advanced surface coatings via ALD and MLD to successfully mitigate the issues of alkali metal anodes.

High‐quality rare earth element (R) based thin films are in demand for applications ranging from (opto)electronics and energy conversion/storage to medical diagnostics, imaging and security technologies. Atomic layer deposition (ALD) offers large‐area homogeneous and conformal ultrathin films and is uniquely suited to address the requirements set by the potential applications of R‐based thin films. The history starts from the 1990s, when the first electroluminescent R‐doped thin films were grown with ALD. The interest soon expanded to rare earth element oxide layers as high‐k gate dielectrics in semiconductor devices, and later to complex ternary and quaternary perovskite oxides with novel functional properties. The most recent advancements related to the combined atomic/molecular layer deposition (ALD/MLD) have rapidly expanded the family of R‐organic hybrid materials with intriguing luminescence and up‐conversion properties. This review provides up‐to‐date insights to the current state of ALD and ALD/MLD research of R‐based thin films and highlights their application potential. The intensive research on rare earth materials has been driven mainly by their unique and multifunctional properties paving the way for new and improved technologies in optics, microelectronics, energy conversion and storage. In this review, the precursor chemistry for rare earth (R elements is summarized followed by the processing of R materials via atomic layer deposition and molecular layer deposition are discussed and finally the emerging applications are highlighted.

Polysulfone (PSF) is one of the most used polymers for water treatment membranes, but its intrinsic hydrophobicity can be detrimental to the membranes’ performances. By modifying a membrane’s surface, it is possible to adapt its physicochemical properties and thus tune the membrane’s hydrophilicity or porosity, which can achieve improved permeability and antifouling efficiency. Atomic layer deposition (ALD) stands as a distinctive technology offering exceedingly even and uniform layers of coatings, like oxides that cover the surfaces of objects with three-dimensional (3D) shapes, porous structures, and particles. In the context of this study, the focus was on titanium dioxide (TiO2), zinc oxide (ZnO), and alumina (Al2O3), which were deposited on polysulfone hollow fiber (HF) membranes via ALD using TiCl4, diethyl zinc (DEZ), and trimethylamine (TMA), respectively, and H2O as precursors. The morphology and mechanical properties of membranes were changed without damaging their performances. The deposition was confirmed mainly by energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX). All depositions offered great performances with a maintained permeability and BSA retention and a 20 to 40° lower water contact angle (WCA) than the raw PSF HF membrane. The deposition of TiO2 offered the best results, showing an enhancement of 50% for the water permeability and 20% for the fouling resistance of the PSF HF membranes.

Atomic Layer Processing (ALP) techniques have transformed materials engineering by enabling atomic/molecular‐level control over composition, fidelity in structure replication, and properties. Tracing its origins to pioneering molecular layering and atomic layer deposition work in the mid‐20th century, this multifaceted field has remarkably diversified to include molecular layer deposition (MLD), atomic layer etching (ALE), area‐selective deposition (ASD), and vapor‐phase infiltration (VPI) processes. ALP is making great impacts across diverse disciplines – facilitating semiconductor miniaturization through ultrathin dielectric films, improving battery materials and engineering catalysts for energy applications, creating bioactive surfaces for advanced biomaterials, and promoting sustainable membranes for environmental remediation. As ALP techniques continue evolving through integration with additive manufacturing, machine learning, and in situ diagnostics, new frontiers in materials design are emerging, driven by the growing focus on environmental considerations like renewable precursors, energy‐efficient processes, and waste minimization. This perspective article examines ALP's historical development, highlights current state‐of‐the‐art applications across selected fields, and provides insights into the anticipated future trajectory, emerging application domains, and the pivotal role of academic‐industry‐research laboratory collaborations in catalyzing ALP innovations and facilitating its widespread adoption as a transformative manufacturing platform. Atomic Layer Processing (ALP) provides atomic‐level control over coatings, enabling materials with tailored properties. Its application potential is vast and promises further innovation for future technological challenges. This perspective article explores its historical development, select current applications, and future prospects in various fields including energy, biomedicine, computing, additive manufacturing, or corrosion protection.

The prevailing belief has been that the fundamental structures of cerebellar neuronal circuits, consisting of a few major neuron types, are simple and well understood. Given that the cerebellum has long been known to be crucial for motor behaviors, these simple yet organized circuit structures seemed beneficial for theoretical studies proposing neural mechanisms underlying cerebellar motor functions and learning. On the other hand, experimental studies using advanced techniques have revealed numerous structural properties that were not traditionally defined. These include subdivided neuronal types and their circuit structures, feedback pathways from output Purkinje cells, and the multidimensional organization of neuronal interactions. With the recent recognition of the cerebellar involvement in non-motor functions, it is possible that these newly identified structural properties, which are potentially capable of generating greater complexity than previously recognized, are associated with increased information capacity. This, in turn, could contribute to the wide range of cerebellar functions. However, it remains largely unknown how such structural properties contribute to cerebellar neural computations through the regulation of neuronal activity or synaptic transmissions. To promote further research into cerebellar circuit structures and their functional significance, we aim to summarize the newly identified structural properties of the cerebellar cortex and discuss future research directions concerning cerebellar circuit structures and their potential functions.

Curcumin is known as a biologically active compound and a possible antimicrobial agent. Here, we combine it with TiO2 and ZnO semiconductors, known for their photocatalytic properties, with an eye towards synergistic photo-harvesting and/or antimicrobial effects. We deposit different nanoscale multi-layer structures of curcumin, TiO2 and ZnO, by combining the solution-based spin-coating (S-C) technique and the gas-phase atomic layer deposition (ALD) and molecular layer deposition (MLD) thin-film techniques. As one of the highlights, we demonstrate for these multi-layer structures a red-shift in the absorbance maximum and an expansion of the absorbance edge as far as the longest visible wavelength region, which activates them for the visible light harvesting. The novel fabrication approaches introduced here should be compatible with, e.g., textile substrates, opening up new horizons for novel applications such as new types of protective masks with thin conformal antimicrobial coatings.