with titanium nitride (TiN) as the most common example. [1] Along with their superior mechanical properties, these are good conductors being employed as permanent contact layers and diffusion barriers in microelectronics. [1] In addition, nitrides are well explored as novel piezoelectric and thermoelectric materials, generally in the area of energy harvesting (e.g., aluminium nitride (AlN)). AlN has been well studied in the past 20 years due to its excellent properties, such as wide bandgap, high thermal conductivity, high hardness, and high thermal stability. Its thin film has a high piezoelectric coefficient (d 33 = 5.5 pCN -1 ). [2] There is a plethora of literature available on transition metal nitride in both thin-film and bulk forms for various applications. [1] Among nitrides, the ternary transition metal nitrides (TTMNs), particularly II-IV-N 2, have emerged as a recent attraction in the electronic industry due to their attractive structural and electrical properties and, importantly, the ability to offer tunable properties such as bandgap, etc. [1] The small amount of scandium (Sc)-doping into AlN significantly increased the piezoelectric properties. [2] The most explored prototypes in this category Self-powered, wide-spectral response, fast, and high-sensitivity photo detectors are essential for developing next-generation optoelectronic devices. In this work, the predicted optoelectronic properties of the ternary metal-zinc (Zn)nitride (N) thin films are experimentally demonstrated. A novel phase of the Titanium (Ti)-Zn-N system (dominantly TiZnN 2 film of ≈235 nm thickness) is developed on the p-Si substrate, which shows excellent optoelectronic properties. The Indium Tin Oxide (ITO)/TiZnN 2 /p-type Si (p-Si) photodetector of area ≈4 mm 2 exhibits an impressive responsivity of 1.22 × 10 -4 A W −1 at 0 V and 40 mA W −1 at −4 V, a specific detectivity up to 1.16 × 10 9 Jones at 0 V, and a response speed of 1.9 ms at zero external bias (i.e., self-powered mode). Benefiting from the broad-band absorption of the film and p-Si combination, the detection range is observed from the ultraviolet to near-infrared (300-1150 nm). Simultaneous operation of self-powered photo-triggered drip irrigation ON and street light OFF in the early morning and vice-versa in the evening is demonstrated for autonomous farming. The device is insensitive to humidity and ambiance, and generates a photocurrent with light intensity as low as 5 mW cm −2 . The active layer is hydrophobic and highly stable, and the fabrication is cost-effective.

Electronic materials such as semiconductors, piezo‐ and ferroelectrics, and metal oxides are primary constituents in sensing, actuation, nanoelectronics, memory, and energy systems. Although significant progress is evident in understanding the mechanical and electrical properties independently using conventional techniques, simultaneous and quantitative electromechanical characterization at the nanoscale using in situ techniques is scarce. It is essential because coupling/linking electrical signal to the nanoscale plasticity provides vital information regarding the real‐time electromechanical behavior of materials, which is crucial for developing miniaturized smarter technologies. With the advent of conductive nanoindentation, researchers have been able to get valuable insights into the nanoscale plasticity (otherwise not possible by conventional means) in a wide variety of bulk and small‐volume materials, quantify the electromechanical properties, understand the dielectric breakdown phenomenon and the nature of electrical contacts in thin films, etc., by continuously monitoring the real‐time electrical signal changes during any point on the indentation load–hold–unload cycle. This comprehensive Review covers probing the electromechanical behavior of materials using in situ conductive nanoindentation, data analysis methods, the validity of the models and limitations, and electronic conduction mechanisms at the nanocontacts, quantification of resistive components, applications, progress, and existing issues, and provides a futuristic outlook.