Definition and research guide
This page combines a MeSH definition, publication statistics and selected research abstracts. It is a starting point for reading the literature, not a medical textbook or a systematic evidence review.
Content available: 4 complete abstracts (557 words), 10 references. Full article text is not stored or reproduced here; follow the PMID, DOI or PMC links to read the original sources and their access terms.
Definition
Materials that have a limited and usually variable electrical conductivity. They are particularly useful for the production of solid-state electronic devices.
Definition: NLM Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) scope note (Public domain (U.S. National Library of Medicine); attribution requested). View the MeSH record.
Also known as: Semiconductor.
Where it fits in the MeSH classification
- Broader topics
- Electrical Equipment and Supplies
- Narrower topics
- Transistors, Electronic
- See also
- Quantum Dots
Research landscape
PubMed indexes 11,477 records tagged with the MeSH heading “Semiconductors” (counts retrieved 2026-11-04). 2,417 of them (21.1%) were published from 2020 onward, and the busiest period so far is 2010-2019 with 5,638 records.
Reviews account for 1,099 records (9.6%) and meta-analyses for 5. Randomized controlled trials number 17 (0.1%) as a share of all records on the topic. Randomized trials make up only a small share of this literature, so much of what is known comes from laboratory, observational or descriptive work.
Show the data
| Period | Records |
|---|---|
| through 1999 | 791 |
| 2000-2009 | 2,631 |
| 2010-2019 | 5,638 |
| 2020 onward | 2,417 |
Publication-type chart data
| Type | Records | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Reviews | 1,099 | 9.6% |
| Meta-analyses | 5 | 0.0% |
| Randomized controlled trials | 17 | 0.1% |
Method: PubMed query "Semiconductors"[MeSH Terms] with publication-type and date filters, retrieved 2026-11-04.
Reading the evidence in diagnostics and medical technology
A test or device is judged by how well it detects a condition, how often it gives false alarms or misses cases, and whether using it improves outcomes for people. Accuracy depends on who is tested and how common the condition is, so a test that performs well in a specialist hospital can perform differently in the community. Check the reference standard, the population studied, the sensitivity and specificity and whether results were confirmed in a separate group.
Evidence from open-access studies
These open-access studies come from PubMed’s best-match results for this heading (papers whose main topic it is), ranked here by citation count, with one recent addition. Each abstract is reproduced in full under its recorded open licence so that you can read the authors’ own words. They illustrate the literature; they are not a systematic summary of it. Citation counts measure attention, not reliability or clinical benefit.
| Study / authors | Year | Source label / design | Europe PMC citations | Licence / source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Transformable hybrid semiconducting polymer nanozyme for second near-infrared photothermal ferrotherapy | 2020 | Research article Design not recorded in structured metadata | 272 | cc by PMID 32312987 · DOI · PMC7170847 |
| Beyond the Debye length in high ionic strength solution: direct protein detection with field-effect transistors (FETs) in human serum | 2017 | Research article Design not recorded in structured metadata | 140 | cc by PMID 28701708 · DOI · PMC5507911 |
| Field-Effect Transistor Biosensors for Biomedical Applications: Recent Advances and Future Prospects | 2019 | Review article Design not recorded in structured metadata | 106 | cc by PMID 31569330 · DOI · PMC6806101 |
| Single-transistor organic electrochemical neurons | 2025 | Research article Design not recorded in structured metadata | 20 | cc by PMID 40346056 · DOI · PMC12064751 |
Transformable hybrid semiconducting polymer nanozyme for second near-infrared photothermal ferrotherapy [1]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- Despite its growing promise in cancer treatment, ferrotherapy has low therapeutic efficacy due to compromised Fenton catalytic efficiency in tumor milieu.
- Closing excerpt
- Thereby, our study provides a generalized nanozyme strategy to compensate both ferrotherapy and phototherapeutics for complete tumor regression.
- Interpretation limits
- Verbatim excerpts from the authors’ abstract; the closing excerpt may describe a finding, limitation or recommendation. Design, population, effect size and uncertainty have not been independently extracted or appraised. Read the complete abstract and linked paper before interpreting the findings.
Read complete abstract (147 words)
Despite its growing promise in cancer treatment, ferrotherapy has low therapeutic efficacy due to compromised Fenton catalytic efficiency in tumor milieu. We herein report a hybrid semiconducting nanozyme (HSN) with high photothermal conversion efficiency for photoacoustic (PA) imaging-guided second near-infrared photothermal ferrotherapy. HSN comprises an amphiphilic semiconducting polymer as photothermal converter, PA emitter and iron-chelating Fenton catalyst. Upon photoirradiation, HSN generates heat not only to induce cytotoxicity but also to enhance Fenton reaction. The increased ·OH generation promotes both ferroptosis and apoptosis, oxidizes HSN (42 nm) and transforms it into tiny segments (1.7 nm) with elevated intratumoral permeability. The non-invasive seamless synergism leads to amplified therapeutic effects including a deep ablation depth (9 mm), reduced expression of metastasis-related proteins and inhibition of metastasis from primary tumor to distant organs. Thereby, our study provides a generalized nanozyme strategy to compensate both ferrotherapy and phototherapeutics for complete tumor regression.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 32312987 · DOI · PMC7170847
Beyond the Debye length in high ionic strength solution: direct protein detection with field-effect transistors (FETs) in human serum [2]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- In this study, a new type of field-effect transistor (FET)-based biosensor is demonstrated to be able to overcome the problem of severe charge-screening effect caused by high ionic strength in solution and detect proteins in physiological environment.
- Closing excerpt
- This sensor is promising for point-of-care, home healthcare, and mobile diagnostic device.
- Interpretation limits
- Verbatim excerpts from the authors’ abstract; the closing excerpt may describe a finding, limitation or recommendation. Design, population, effect size and uncertainty have not been independently extracted or appraised. Read the complete abstract and linked paper before interpreting the findings.
Read complete abstract (139 words)
In this study, a new type of field-effect transistor (FET)-based biosensor is demonstrated to be able to overcome the problem of severe charge-screening effect caused by high ionic strength in solution and detect proteins in physiological environment. Antibody or aptamer-immobilized AlGaN/GaN high electron mobility transistors (HEMTs) are used to directly detect proteins, including HIV-1 RT, CEA, NT-proBNP and CRP, in 1X PBS (with 1%BSA) or human sera. The samples do not need any dilution or washing process to reduce the ionic strength. The sensor shows high sensitivity and the detection takes only 5 minutes. The designs of the sensor, the methodology of the measurement, and the working mechanism of the sensor are discussed and investigated. A theoretical model is proposed based on the finding of the experiments. This sensor is promising for point-of-care, home healthcare, and mobile diagnostic device.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 28701708 · DOI · PMC5507911
Field-Effect Transistor Biosensors for Biomedical Applications: Recent Advances and Future Prospects [3]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- During recent years, field-effect transistor biosensors (Bio-FET) for biomedical applications have experienced a robust development with evolutions in FET characteristics as well as modification of bio-receptor structures.
- Closing excerpt
- From these points of view, FET-biosensors with infinite advantages are expected to continuously advance as one of the most promising tools for biomedical applications.
- Interpretation limits
- Verbatim excerpts from the authors’ abstract; the closing excerpt may describe a finding, limitation or recommendation. Design, population, effect size and uncertainty have not been independently extracted or appraised. Read the complete abstract and linked paper before interpreting the findings.
Read complete abstract (121 words)
During recent years, field-effect transistor biosensors (Bio-FET) for biomedical applications have experienced a robust development with evolutions in FET characteristics as well as modification of bio-receptor structures. This review initially provides contemplation on this progress by briefly summarizing remarkable studies on two aforementioned aspects. The former includes fabricating unprecedented nanostructures and employing novel materials for FET transducers whereas the latter primarily synthesizes compact molecules as bio-probes (antibody fragments and aptamers). Afterwards, a future perspective on research of FET-biosensors is also predicted depending on current situations as well as its great demand in clinical trials of disease diagnosis. From these points of view, FET-biosensors with infinite advantages are expected to continuously advance as one of the most promising tools for biomedical applications.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 31569330 · DOI · PMC6806101
Single-transistor organic electrochemical neurons [4]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- Neuromorphic devices that mimic the energy-efficient sensing and processing capabilities of biological neurons hold significant promise for developing bioelectronic systems capable of precise sensing and adaptive stimulus-response.
- Closing excerpt
- This advancement highlights the potential for scalable, bio-inspired neuromorphic computing and seamless integration with biological systems.
- Interpretation limits
- Verbatim excerpts from the authors’ abstract; the closing excerpt may describe a finding, limitation or recommendation. Design, population, effect size and uncertainty have not been independently extracted or appraised. Read the complete abstract and linked paper before interpreting the findings.
Read complete abstract (150 words)
Neuromorphic devices that mimic the energy-efficient sensing and processing capabilities of biological neurons hold significant promise for developing bioelectronic systems capable of precise sensing and adaptive stimulus-response. However, current silicon-based technologies lack biocompatibility and rely on operational principles that differ from those of biological neurons. Organic electrochemical neurons (OECNs) address these shortcomings but typically require multiple components, limiting their integration density and scalability. Here, we report a single-transistor OECN (1T-OECN) that leverages the hysteretic switching of organic electrochemical memtransistors (OECmTs) based on poly(benzimidazobenzophenanthroline). By tuning the electrolyte and driving voltage, the OECmTs switch between high- and low-resistance states, enabling action potential generation, dynamic spiking, and logic operations within a single device with dimensions comparable to biological neurons. The compact 1T-OECN design (~180 µm2 footprint) supports high-density integration, achieving over 62,500 neurons/cm2 on flexible substrates. This advancement highlights the potential for scalable, bio-inspired neuromorphic computing and seamless integration with biological systems.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 40346056 · DOI · PMC12064751
Key reviews and meta-analyses
The most cited review-type papers among PubMed’s best-match results for this heading, listed with bibliographic details only. Follow the links for the full text and access terms.
- Research article Solid-state nanopores [5]
- Research article Carbon-based electronics [6]
- Research article Doped nanocrystals [7]
- Research article Thienoacene-based organic semiconductors [8]
- Research article Nano-Bioelectronics [9]
- Research article A review of fabrication and applications of carbon nanotube film-based flexible electronics [10]
References
- Jiang Y, Zhao X, Huang J, Li J, Upputuri PK, Sun H, et al.. Transformable hybrid semiconducting polymer nanozyme for second near-infrared photothermal ferrotherapy. . 2020. PMID 32312987 · DOI · PMC7170847
- Chu CH, Sarangadharan I, Regmi A, Chen YW, Hsu CP, Chang WH, et al.. Beyond the Debye length in high ionic strength solution: direct protein detection with field-effect transistors (FETs) in human serum. . 2017. PMID 28701708 · DOI · PMC5507911
- Vu CA, Chen WY. Field-Effect Transistor Biosensors for Biomedical Applications: Recent Advances and Future Prospects. . 2019. PMID 31569330 · DOI · PMC6806101
- Ji J, Gao D, Wu HY, Xiong M, Stajkovic N, Latte Bovio C, et al.. Single-transistor organic electrochemical neurons. . 2025. PMID 40346056 · DOI · PMC12064751
- Dekker C. Solid-state nanopores. Nat Nanotechnol. 2007. PMID 18654264 · DOI
- Avouris P, Chen Z, Perebeinos V. Carbon-based electronics. Nat Nanotechnol. 2007. PMID 18654384 · DOI
- Norris DJ, Efros AL, Erwin SC. Doped nanocrystals. Science. 2008. PMID 18369131 · DOI
- Takimiya K, Shinamura S, Osaka I, Miyazaki E. Thienoacene-based organic semiconductors. Adv Mater. 2011. PMID 21842474 · DOI
- Zhang A, Lieber CM. Nano-Bioelectronics. Chem Rev. 2016. PMID 26691648 · DOI · PMC4867216
- Park S, Vosguerichian M, Bao Z. A review of fabrication and applications of carbon nanotube film-based flexible electronics. Nanoscale. 2013. PMID 23381727 · DOI
About this article
- Sources
- NLM Medical Subject Headings (definition, synonyms); NCBI PubMed (counts, identifiers); Europe PMC (open-access abstracts and citation counts).
- Verification
- Every reference was resolved against PubMed on 2026-11-04; title, year and DOI matched.
- Review state
- automated source verified; no human expert review has been recorded yet.
- Version
- 1, last updated 2026-11-04.
See how EvidenceLib is built. Spotted an error? Email support@evidencehelix.com.
Evidence strength
EvidenceHelix's computed view of the study designs behind this topic: how common meta-analyses, randomized trials and reviews are, how recent the literature is, and a plain-language reading. It describes the design mix of the literature. It is not a quality appraisal of any study, and it is not medical advice.