National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University
National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University was created in 2021 through the merger of two universities: National Yang-Ming University and National Chiao Tung University. Yang Ming, which focused on biomedical research, and Chiao Tung, which focused on electronic communication research, were both top-tier universities in Taiwan. At present, there are 19 colleges and 74 university/college-level research centers. Faculties include: artificial intelligence and green energy, biological science and technology, computer science, dentistry, humanity and social science, Hakka studies, law, life sciences, medicine, nursing, management and general education.
The Hsinchu campus is surrounded by the science park, which is named as the “Silicon Valley of Taiwan”. In past few decades, students graduated from Hsinchu campus (former NCTU) greatly contributed to the development of semiconductor industries in Taiwan. NYCU (former NCTU) was regarded as the cradle of high-tech industry leaders in science park, about 65% of CEOs and top level managers in Hsinchu Science Park are NYCU alumni.
Currently, there are more than 20000 students, 1170 faculties, and 408 research staff in NYCU. NYCU is singularly unique as it will establish Taiwan’s most innovative smart medical research. NYCU will combine the strengths of Yang Ming and Chiao Tung to jointly develop medical applications in terms of AI, telemedicine, medical robots, Internet of Things, wearable devices, and block-chain biomedical as Eco-system amongst other developments.
Prof. Zan’s Lab
Incorporating nanostructure into semiconductor transistors and sensors attracts lots of attention because a new device design usually brings new operation phenomenon and improved device performance. Prof. Hsiao-Wen Zan’s research activity is focused on the development of high performance transistors and sensors with nanostructures, aiming the applications in biomedical sensing.
One aspect of her research was devoted to develop ultra-sensitive gas sensor based on low-cost solution-processed technology. The main objective is to realize human breath monitor to detect key biomarkers in breath and hence reflect health condition in point-of-care applications. The main achievements are as follows.
- Developing ultra-sensitive gas sensors with novel device structures as…
- Vertical-nanojunction ammonia sensor and acetone sensor for ppb-regime detection (TW patent I427288, US patent 8,723,503, Sensor Actuat B-Chem 2018). Applied in animal experiment to detect the acute liver injury in rats (Anal. Chem. 2013).
- Using silver nanowire to induce nanojunction, or using p/n blended sensing layer to modulate sensing response. (Org. Elec. 2014, Sensor Actuat B-Chem 2016, TW patent I508305, US patent 9,236,492)
- Using NIR laser annealed IZO flexible sensor to detect ppb-regime H2S. (ACS AMI 2020) (collaborating with Dr. Olivier Soppera)
- Using gas sensors to develop key applications in…
- Clinical trials for detecting breath ammonia of chronic kidney disease patients. A good correlation is obtained between breath ammonia and blood urea nitrogen for hemodialysis patients, benefit the real-time monitoring of dialysis efficacy. (ACS Sensors 2017, ACS Sensors 2019) For non-dialysis patients, breath ammonia can also be used as a screening index (Journal of Breath Research, 2020, Biomedicines 2020). This part collaborates with Dr. Chang-Chiang Chen in Division of Nephrology, NTU Hospital Hsinchu Branch and with Dr. Ya-Chung Tien, chair of Division of Nephrology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Linkou. (Partly collaborating with Dr. Olivier Soppera.) This work was reported by several Taiwan and American newspapers. The team together with medical doctors also won “National Innovation Award 2021”.(https://health.ltn.com.tw/article/breakingnews/3014002)
- Extension work to detect cat litter for feline chronic kidney disease. To provide a
convenient testing for cats, her team developed a simple and robust optical-fiber-linked reaction tank (Biosens. Bioelectron. 2019) to analyze urine urea extracted from cat litter. An examination by collaborating with Jong Shing Animal Hospital was also successfully demonstrated. The work was reported by more than 10 newspapers and, in 2021, was technology transferred to ASUS for commercialization.
The second aspect is related to develop high-performance transistors, particularly with nanostructure. The aim is to improve the current output, to realize simple photo-write process, and to investigate the stability of metal oxide transistors. The main achievements are:
- Introducing nano-dots doping, nano-wire doping, (Adv. Mater. 2011, ACS AMI 2015) and applying a reduction reaction (Adv. Mater. 2012) to enhance the effective mobility of indium-gallium-zinc oxide transistors.
- Using DUV direct write on sol-gel metal oxide material to form transistor with high mobility at low operation temperature (Sci. Rep. 2015), to investigate the relation between photo-chemical reaction and electrical property (Adv. Mater. Interfaces 2016), to incorporate silver nanowire with sol-gel metal oxide to realize direct write transparent electrode (RSC Adv. 2017). This topic is developed in collaboration with Dr. Soppera.
The work starts from the development of new device structure with improved performance, then explores the chemical or biomedical applications. An intense interdisciplinary collaboration with chemists, doctors in hospitals, and local electronic companies is conducted to investigate the device from fundamental science to real applications.
People Involved in IRP Project (2023.02)
Prof. Hsiao-Wen Zan (H=35 Google Scholar; H=29 Web of Science) is co-author of 215 publications, 87 invention patents, supervised 23 PhD students, 2 post-doc.
Prof. Hsin-Fei Meng, Institute of Physics, NYCU, solution-processed organic thin film technologies and OPV devices.
Associate Prof. Li-Yin Chen Department of Photonics. NYCU, electron/photon reaction in organic semiconductor material and OLED/sensors devices.
Associate Prof. Bor-Ran Li, Institute of Medical Engineering, NYCU, micro-fluid system and biomedical sensing system
Moumita Deb, PhD candidate, Metal-oxide semiconductor gas sensors
Chih-Lu Chiang, PhD student, Sensor system and new applications
Shu-Yang Tsai, Master student, Au nanoparticle SERS incorporated gas sensors.
Main Publications
- Huang, T. H.; Li, P. Y.; Yang, J. B.; Liu, T. Y.; Chen, M. H.; Liu, P. T.; Meng, H. F.; Lu, C. J.;
Soppera, O.; Yeh, P. H.; Zan, H. W., Vertical channel metal-oxide clusters as sensitive NO2
sensor with modulated response at room temperature. Sensor Actuat B-Chem (IF: 8.42),
2022, 354. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.snb.2021.131222 - Lin, C.-F.; Khitous, A.; Zan, H.-W.; Soppera, O., Exploiting Thermoplasmonic Effects for
Laser-Assisted Preparation of Au Nanoparticles/InZnO Thin Film with Visible Range
Photodetection Properties. Advanced Optical Materials (IF: 10.05), 2021, 2100045.
https://doi.org/10.1002/adom.202100045 - Chang, P.-Y., Lin, C.-F., Rouphael, S. E. K., Huang, T.-H., Wu, C.-M., Berling, D., Yeh, P.-H., Lu, C.-J., Meng, H.-F., Zan, H.-W., Soppera, O., Near-Infrared Laser-Annealed IZO Flexible Device as a Sensitive H2S Sensor at Room Temperature. ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces (IF:8.758) , 2020, 12, 22, 24984-24991 https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acsami.0c03257
- Tsai, M.-J, Cheng, H., Ho, H-H, Lin, P-W, Liou, D-Y Liou, Fang, T-C, Li, C-W, Kwan, K, Chen, YC, Huang, C-S, Horng, S-F, Hung, C-H, Zan, H-W, Meng, H-F. Hydrogel-based zinc ion sensor
on optical fiber with high resolution and application to neural cells, Biosensors and
Bioelectronics (IF: 10.257), 2020, 162, 112230, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bios.2020.112230 - Yu, S.-Y., Tung, T.-W., Yang, H.-Y., Chen, G.-Y., Shih, C.-C., Lee, Y.-C., Chen, C.-C., Zan, H.-W., Meng, H.-F., Lu, C.-J., Wang, C.-L., Jian, W.-B., and Soppera, O. A Versatile Method to
Enhance the Operational Current of Air-Stable Organic Gas Sensor for Monitoring of Breath Ammonia in Hemodialysis Patients. ACS Sensors (IF: 8.57), 2019, 4(4), 1023-1031
https://doi.org/10.1021/acssensors.9b00223 - Yeh, C. C., Zan, H. W., Soppera, O., Solution-Based Micro- and Nanoscale Metal Oxide Structures Formed by Direct Patterning for Electro-Optical Applications. Advanced
Materials (IF=32.086) 2018, 30 (50), 24. https://doi.org/10.1002/adma.201800923 - Chuang, M.-Y., Chen, C.-C., Zan, H.-W., Meng, H.-F., and Lu, C.-J., Organic Gas Sensor with an Improved Lifetime for Detecting Breath Ammonia in Hemodialysis Patients. ACS Sensors (IF: 8.57), 2017, 2(12), 1788-1795 https://doi.org/10.1021/acssensors.7b00564
- Chang, L.-Y., Chuang, M.-Y., Zan, H.-W., Meng, H.-F., Lu, C.-J.,Yeh, P.-H., Cheng, J.-N., OneMinute Fish Freshness Evaluation by Testing the Volatile Amine Gas with an Ultrasensitive Porous-Electrode-Capped Organic Gas Sensor System. ACS Sensors (IF:8.57), 2017, 2(4), 531-539 https://doi.org/10.1021/acssensors.6b00829
- Zan, H.-W., Yeh, C.-C., Meng, H.-F., Tsai, C.-C., and Chen, L.-H., Achieving High Field-Effect
Mobility in Amorphous Indium-Gallium-Zinc Oxide by Capping a Strong Reduction Layer.
Advanced Materials (IF: 32.086), 2012, 24(26), pp.3509-3514 https://doi.org/10.1002/adma.201200683 - Zan, H.-W., Tsai, W.-W., Chen, C.-H., and Tsai, C.-C., Effective Mobility Enhancement by
Using Nanometer Dot Doping in Amorphous IGZO Thin-Film Transistors. Advanced
Materials (IF: 32.086), 2011, vol. 23, 4237-4242 https://doi.org/10.1002/adma.201102530