Advances in semiconductor materials and device architectures for biomedical systems: a mini review

The latest improvements in semiconductor engineering have made it possible for the medical field to take advantage of the new capabilities of sensing, diagnosing, neural modulating, and monitoring therapeutics, among others. The merging of nanomaterials, microfabrication techniques, and flexible electronics have turned the traditional biomedical devices into smart systems that are extremely sensitive and minimally invasive. The article presents a review of the new semiconductor-based technologies in the field of biomedicine, focusing on material innovations, system-level integration, and clinical application pathways. Bio-integrated sensors, neuromodulation platforms, and semiconductor enabled point-of-care diagnostics are the areas that will be discussed during this mini review. A thorough analysis is done on the main challenges like long-term biocompatibility, signal stability in complex biological environments, and scalable manufacturing. Moreover, alternate directions, like soft implantable electronics, AI-integrated semiconductor biosystems, and high-density neural interfaces are discussed as potential future developments. This review is aimed at giving biomedical engineering researchers a clear but thorough view of the continuous reshaping of biomedical engineering by semiconductor innovations.