Conventional Thermal Treatment Research Articles

Production of Whey Protein-Based Aggregates Under Ohmic Heating

Formation of whey protein isolate protein aggregates under the influence of moderate electric fields upon ohmic heating (OH) has been monitored through evaluation of molecular protein unfolding, loss of its solubility, and aggregation. To shed more light on the microstructure of the protein aggregates produced by OH, samples were assayed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Results show that during early steps of an OH thermal treatment, aggregation of whey proteins can be reduced with a concomitant reduction of the heating charge—by reducing the come-up time (CUT) needed to reach a target temperature—and increase of the electric field applied (from 6 to 12 V cm−1). Exposure of reactive free thiol groups involved in molecular unfolding of β-lactoglobulin (β-lg) can be reduced from 10 to 20 %, when a CUT of 10 s is combined with an electric field of 12 V cm−1. Kinetic and multivariate analysis evidenced that the presence of an electric field during heating contributes to a change in the amplitude of aggregation, as well as in the shape of the produced aggregates. TEM discloses the appearance of small fibrillar aggregates upon the influence of OH, which have recognized potential in the functionalization of food protein networks. This study demonstrated that OH technology can be used to tailor denaturation and aggregation behavior of whey proteins due to the presence of a constant electric field together with the ability to provide a very fast heating, thus overcoming heat transfer limitations that naturally occur during conventional thermal treatments.

Apple juice preservation through microbial adsorption by nano/micro-tubular cellulose

Abstract A novel continuous preservation process of apple juice using a nano/micro-porous cellulosic material (or “tubular cellulose”, abrrev. TC), is presented in this study. This investigation aims to the development of a non-thermal system for microbial stabilization, avoiding the degradation of food quality caused by heat. TC was used as filter in a packed-bed type bioreactor supplied with commercial apple juice contaminated with Saccharomyces cerevisiae or Lactobacillus plantarum cells at 4 °C. The effect of the filter size on the microbial load removal and chemical/sensory properties of the juice was evaluated. The system presented good operational stability during 55 and 30 days for the removal of yeast and bacteria, respectively. The increase of filter size improved the microbial removal yield and the system effectiveness. The organoleptic parameter values decreased after ΤC regeneration but then reached almost initial levels. The proposed process is a low-cost and promising alternative to existing thermal pasteurization technologies. Industrial relevance Conventional thermal pasteurization treatments are applied industrially for microbial stabilization of foods but significantly affect the organoleptic characteristics of the products. This study evaluated a novel non-thermal preservation method of contaminated apple juice that meets the consumer's demand for less processed products with high nutritional value. Commercial apple juice was contaminated with S. cerevisiae or L. plantarum cells and then was continuously pumped through tubular cellulose. The increased size of the filter leads to improved microbial removal yields. Despite the decrease of volatile compounds and colour at the start up of the process and after each filter regeneration with hot water, almost initial parameter values were achieved as the process evolved. The proposed technology can be a promising alternative of industrial pasteurization techniques for food applications.

Direct surface modification of ligand-free silicon quantum dots prepared by femtosecond laser ablation in deionized water

Amine-terminated, ultra-small silicon nanoparticles (Si-NPs) were prepared in one step avoiding the conventional chemical or thermal treatment of Si surface, by introducing organosilane in Si-NPs colloidal solution freshly prepared by ultra-fast laser ablation of silicon target in deionized water. Surface chemistry studies of Si-NPs conducted by Raman and Fourier infrared spectroscopy demonstrated the hydroxyl-terminated surface of Si-NPs. The reactivity of hydroxyl-terminated surface with aminopropyltriethoxysilane in aqueous solution was investigated. Electron microscopy, dynamic light scattering, infrared spectroscopy and stability studies confirmed the successful functionalization of Si-NPs leading to 5nm Si dots covered by aminopropyltriethoxysilane thick layer. Detailed infrared spectroscopy analysis of the Si–O–Si region as a function of immersion time revealed the formation of interfacial Si–O bonds between the organosilane and hydroxyl groups of the nanoparticles. The biocompatible Si nanostructure containing amine functional group prepared using a one-step green protocol opens the route for biomedical applications and successful translation into clinical setting, as bio-labels, contrast agents and vector delivery.

Bioactive Compounds and Enzymatic Activity of Red Vegetable Smoothies During Storage

Changes in the polyphenoloxidase (PPO), peroxidase (POD), pectinmethylesterase (PME) and phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL) activities, total phenolics content (TPC) and total antioxidant capacity (TAC) on two red fresh vegetable smoothies (R1 and R2) based on tomato, red pepper, broccoli and carrot stored at 5 and 20 °C were monitored. A conventional thermal treatment of 3 min at 80 °C was applied to extend shelf life. The initial PPO, POD, and PME activities of R1/R2 smoothies (58/83, 0.023/0.020, and 1.50/0.38 kg−1 fresh weight (fw)) were 100 % reduced after thermal treatment and maintained at zero levels during storage up to 40 and 58 days at 20 and 5 °C, respectively. Initial PAL activities of R1/R2 smoothies of 7.3/11.5 μmol cinnamic acid formed kg−1 h−1 were reduced in a 65–70 % after thermal treatment. The initial TPC of R1/R2 smoothies were 404/462 mg GAE kg−1 fw, and it was not significantly affected after the thermal treatment. No great TPC degradation during storage was observed either at 5 or 20 °C. The initial TAC of R1/R2 smoothies were 301/373 mg Trolox equivalent kg−1 fw which was increased 62/77 % after the thermal treatment. The TAC showed a similar behavior to TPC during storage being those two parameters satisfactorily correlated (r 2 = 0.69–0.88). In conclusion, the thermal treatment inactivated the studied quality-degrading enzymes. Health-promoting compounds were well preserved during 58 days at 5 °C and 40 days at 20 °C in red fresh vegetable smoothies.

유동 초고압 공정을 이용한 딸기 주스의 미생물 안정성 향상 및 품질보존

딸기 주스에 단독 DHP 처리 또는 열처리와 병합된 DHP 처리를 하였을 경우 6 log CFU/mL 이상의 토착 미생물 저해를 보여 주었다. 단독 DHP 처리와 열병합된 DHP 처리는 딸기 주스의 비타민 C와 색도에 영향을 주지 않으면서 당도를 상승시켰고 <TEX>$4^{\circ}C$</TEX> 저장 중 색도와 당도를 유지시켰다. 특히 열병합된 DHP 처리는 저장 중 일반 가열처리와 유사한 미생물 안정성을 보이면서도 가열처리 보다 높은 비타민 C 함량과 색상 안정성을 보여주었다. 따라서 DHP 처리(단독 또는 열병합)는 딸기 주스의 품질 변화를 최소화 시키면서 미생물 저장 안정성을 높일 수 있는 최신 살균 공정으로 적용될 수 있을 것으로 판단되었다. Effects of dynamic high-pressure (DHP) treatments on microbial stability, vitamin C concentration, color, sugar content, color, and pH of strawberry juice were studied and compared with those of the conventional thermal treatment. Freshly prepared strawberry juice was thermally treated at <TEX>$110^{\circ}C$</TEX> for 1 min or treated by DHP at 205 MPa and 20, 50, 60, or <TEX>$70^{\circ}C$</TEX>. The thermal treatment and the DHP treatments, both with and without integration with heating at <TEX>$70^{\circ}C$</TEX>, reduced the number of indigenous aerobic microorganisms by >6 log CFU/mL. Vitamin C concentration, color, and sugar content were higher in the DHP-treated juice than in the thermally treated juice, regardless of integration with heating. Compared to the thermal treatment, DHP treatments resulted in longer color retention and higher sugar contents in strawberry juice stored at <TEX>$4^{\circ}C$</TEX> for 63 days. These results have demonstrated the potential use of DHP as a novel method for pasteurizing strawberry juice.

Quantum Dots in Glasses: Size‐Dependent Stokes Shift by Lead Chalcogenide

Size‐dependent Stokes shift of PbS quantum dots (QDs) formed in the glasses was investigated. PbS QDs with diameters of 3.5 nm to 13.3 nm were precipitated in silicate glasses with different S/Pb ratios using the conventional thermal treatment method. Absorption and photoluminescence (PL) of PbS QDs were tuned from ~0.9 μm (1.38 eV) to ~2.3 μm (0.54 eV) by adjusting the diameters of PbS QDs from 3.5 nm to 13.3 nm. PL energies of QDs exhibited linear dependence on the absorption energies with a slope of 0.484 for PbS QDs with band gap energies larger than 0.98 eV, and the maximum Stokes shift was found to be 206.2 meV for 3.5 nm‐sized PbS QDs. For large PbS QDs with band gap energies smaller than 0.98 eV, Stokes shift was found to be ~20 meV or smaller. The size‐dependent Stokes shift indicated that surface defects made the main contribution and relative energy positions of these surface defects were strongly dependent on the size of PbS QDs.

Nonthermal physical technologies to decontaminate and extend the shelf-life of fruits and vegetables: Trends aiming at quality and safety

ABSTRACTMinimally processed fruits and vegetables are one of the major growing sectors in food industry. This growing demand for healthy and convenient foods with fresh-like properties is accompanied by concerns surrounding efficacy of the available sanitizing methods to appropriately deal with food-borne diseases. In fact, chemical sanitizers do not provide an efficient microbial reduction, besides being perceived negatively by the consumers, dangerous for human health, and harmful to the environment, and the conventional thermal treatments may negatively affect physical, nutritional, or bioactive properties of these perishable foods. For these reasons, the industry is investigating alternative nonthermal physical technologies, namely innovative packaging systems, ionizing and ultraviolet radiation, pulsed light, high-power ultrasound, cold plasma, high hydrostatic pressure, and dense phase carbon dioxide, as well as possible combinations between them or with other preservation factors (hurdles). This review discusses the potential of these novel or emerging technologies for decontamination and shelf-life extension of fresh and minimally processed fruits and vegetables. Advantages, limitations, and challenges related to its use in this sector are also highlighted.

Performance analysis of RDF gasification in a two stage fluidized bed–plasma process

The major technical problems faced by stand-alone fluidized bed gasifiers (FBG) for waste-to gas applications are intrinsically related to the composition and physical properties of waste materials, such as RDF. The high quantity of ash and volatile material in RDF can provide a decrease in thermal output, create high ash clinkering, and increase emission of tars and CO2, thus affecting the operability for clean syngas generation at industrial scale. By contrast, a two-stage process which separates primary gasification and selective tar and ash conversion would be inherently more forgiving and stable. This can be achieved with the use of a separate plasma converter, which has been successfully used in conjunction with conventional thermal treatment units, for the ability to ‘polish’ the producer gas by organic contaminants and collect the inorganic fraction in a molten (and inert) state. This research focused on the performance analysis of a two-stage fluid bed gasification–plasma process to transform solid waste into clean syngas. Thermodynamic assessment using the two-stage equilibrium method was carried out to determine optimum conditions for the gasification of RDF and to understand the limitations and influence of the second stage on the process performance (gas heating value, cold gas efficiency, carbon conversion efficiency), along with other parameters. Comparison with a different thermal refining stage, i.e. thermal cracking (via partial oxidation) was also performed. The analysis is supported by experimental data from a pilot plant.

Ohmic Treatment of Pear Purées (cv. ‘Conference’) in Terms of Some Quality Related Attributes

The effect of ohmic treatment on some quality related characteristics of pear purée (cv. ‘Conference’) such as color, reducing sugars, total phenols, rheological behavior and microbial counts, was analyzed. The inactivation kinetics of pectin methyl esterase (PME) in pear crude extract and purée were studied by conventional thermal and ohmic treatments. Thermal inactivation of PME in crude extract was described by a first-order kinetic model. The activation energy values suggested the presence of two isoenzymes with different thermostability. The ohmic heating reduced PME activity by 96% at 25 V·cm-1. Minimal changes induced by ohmic heating on above quality related aspects were observed. Supporting this statement, there were no significant changes in the nutritional and sensorial attributes. It was reported an increase of 3% of reducing sugar content for the ohmic heated samples. The phenolic content of the treated samples registered a reduction of 59% in comparison with fresh pear purée. The pear purée presented a non-Newtonian pseudoplastic behaviour. The Ostwald de Waele model was fitted to rheograms and the consistency coefficient (m) and flow behavior index (n) were determined. Results obtained for the microbial charge were higher in the control samples. Thus, microbial counts showed complete inactivation of yeast and mold at voltage gradient higher than 17.5 V·cm-1.

Ohmic Treatment of Pear Purées (cv. ‘Conference’) in Terms of Some Quality Related Attributes

The effect of ohmic treatment on some quality related characteristics of pear purée (cv. ‘Conference’) such as color, reducing sugars, total phenols, rheological behavior and microbial counts, was analyzed. The inactivation kinetics of pectin methyl esterase (PME) in pear crude extract and purée were studied by conventional thermal and ohmic treatments. Thermal inactivation of PME in crude extract was described by a first-order kinetic model. The activation energy values suggested the presence of two isoenzymes with different thermostability. The ohmic heating reduced PME activity by 96% at 25 V·cm-1. Minimal changes induced by ohmic heating on above quality related aspects were observed. Supporting this statement, there were no significant changes in the nutritional and sensorial attributes. It was reported an increase of 3% of reducing sugar content for the ohmic heated samples. The phenolic content of the treated samples registered a reduction of 59% in comparison with fresh pear purée. The pear purée presented a non-Newtonian pseudoplastic behaviour. The Ostwald de Waele model was fitted to rheograms and the consistency coefficient (m) and flow behavior index (n) were determined. Results obtained for the microbial charge were higher in the control samples. Thus, microbial counts showed complete inactivation of yeast and mold at voltage gradient higher than 17.5 V·cm-1.

Rapid surface hardening and enhanced tribological performance of 4140 steel by friction stir processing

Tribological performance of steel materials can be substantially enhanced by various thermal surface hardening processes. For relatively low-carbon steel alloys, case carburization is often used to improve surface performance and durability. If the carbon content of steel is high enough (>0.4%), thermal treatments such as induction, flame, laser, etc. can produce adequate surface hardening without the need for surface compositional change. This paper presents an experimental study of the use of friction stir processing (FSP) as a means to hardened surface layer in AISI 4140 steel. The impacts of this surface hardening process on the friction and wear performance were evaluated under both dry and lubricated contact conditions in reciprocating sliding. FSP produced the same level of hardening and superior tribological performance when compared to conventional thermal treatment, using only 10% of the energy and without the need for quenching treatments. With FSP surface hardness of about 7.8GPa (62 Rc) was achieved while water quenching conventional heat treatment produced about 7.5GPa (61 Rc) hardness. Microstructural analysis showed that both FSP and conventional heat treatment produced martensite. Although the friction behavior for FSP treated surfaces and the conventional heat treatment were about the same, the wear in FSP processed surfaces was reduced by almost 2× that of conventional heat treated surfaces. The superior performance is attributed to the observed grain refinement accompanying the FSP treatment in addition to the formation of martensite. As it relates to tribological performance, this study shows FSP to be an effective, highly energy efficient, and environmental friendly (green) alternative to conventional heat treatment for steel.

Fabrication of microlens arrays on soda-lime glass using a laser direct-write technique and a thermal treatment assisted by a CO2 laser

A low-cost method for fabricating microlens arrays on commercial soda-lime glass is presented. The hybrid technique is composed by a laser direct writing technique and a laser assisted post-thermal treatment. In particular we use a nanosecond Q-Switch Nd:YVO4 laser for fabricating the initial structure of microposts on soda-lime glass substrates and a CO2 laser combined with a furnace for reshaping and improving its morphological and optical qualities. This new fabrication approach lets us obtain a high quality microlenses array with a diameter of 50μm, sag 1.5μm, focal length 1mm and a spot size of 7.8μm. Furthermore, the proposed technique preserves the advantages of the laser direct-write technique in terms of design flexibility, simplicity, fast prototyping, low cost and so on; while the alternative laser assisted thermal treatment lets us overcome the bounding problems presented in other conventional thermal treatments.

Effects of Pasteurization on Volatile Compounds and Sensory Properties of Coconut (Cocos nucifera L.) Water: Thermal vs. High-Pressure Carbon Dioxide Pasteurization

Coconut water is a tropical beverage with a distinctive odor and flavor that has until now not been adequately characterized. In the present paper, the volatile compound composition of coconut water was investigated using head space solid-phase microextraction-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (HS-SPME-GC-MS). Analyses were made of fresh untreated (FU) samples and samples pasteurized using two different technologies: conventional thermal treatment (thermal pasteurization (TP)) and high-pressure carbon dioxide (HPCD) pasteurization, which has recently attracted great interest as an innovative nonthermal preservation treatment. Seventy-three volatile compounds were identified; 27 of them reported for the first time in coconut water. The results showed that HPCD treatment depletes short- and medium-chain alcohols, while TP treatment triggers an increase in aldehydes, ketones, and 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline, an aroma compound active at low odor thresholds and characterized by “popcorn” and “toasted” odor descriptors. Sensory discrimination analysis (triangle test) showed there to be no significant differences between HPCD and FU samples, while TP and FU samples were perceived significantly differently. Descriptive sensory analyses evidenced more intense “cooked,” “toasted bread,” and “hazelnut” characteristics in TP-treated coconut water, consistent with HS-SPME-GC-MS data. In conclusion, instrumentally measurable changes in volatile compounds were more moderate with HPCD than with TP treatment and were not sensorially perceivable compared with the FU product.

Synthesis of a Hydroxyapatite Nanopowder via Ultrasound Irradiation from Calcium Hydroxide Powders for Potential Biomedical Applications

Nanoscale hydroxyapatite based ceramics are a relatively new form of materials that are currently being investigated for a number of potential biomedical applications. This study reports on a straightforward wet chemical method that uses calcium hydroxide and phosphoric acid as precursors. After chemical synthesis a conventional thermal treatment was used to produce an ultrafine hydroxyapatite nanopowder. Varying ultrasonic power between zero and 400 W during the synthesis process produced crystallite sizes ranging from 15.4 nm down to 12.2 nm. The morphology of particles synthesized under the influence of ultrasonic irradiation was predominantly spherical and granular. Also present were a small number of irregular shaped plates. Energy dispersive spectroscopy revealed the samples had a Ca:P ratio of 1.66, which was very close to the ideal value of 1.67. FT-IR studies identified functional groups and confirmed the results of the X-ray diffraction data that the powders were indeed composed of nanoscale hydroxyapatite.

Remediation of hydrocarbon polluted soils using 2.45 GHz frequency-heating: Influence of operating power and soil texture on soil temperature profiles and contaminant removal kinetics

2.45GHz frequency heating treatment of diesel-contaminated soils was applied to investigate the effects of operating power and soil texture on soil temperature profiles and contaminant removal kinetics. Four soil size aggregate fractions, corresponding to medium (200–350μm) and fine (75–200μm) sand, silt (10–75μm) and clay (<4μm) were artificially contaminated with diesel fuel and remediated with lab-scale apparatus for different lengths of time. Results suggest that soil texture significantly influences the contaminant removal kinetics and that thermodynamic and dielectric properties of soils have a major effect on the final temperature reachable during the heating processes. Minimal contaminant residual concentrations (<400mgkg−1) were achievable only for sandy soils, for which the highest contaminant removals (>90%) were reached. The power low kinetic model showed a quite good correlation (r2>0.976) with the experimental data for residual concentration at all operating powers and for all soils investigated. Contaminant rate decay (k) variation observed for the different soils indicates that contaminant removal processes strictly depend both on thermal properties and specific surface area of soil regulating the adsorption–desorption phenomena related to the decontamination treatment. Especially for sandy soils, microwave heat treatment could be a better choice for remediation of diesel polluted soils compared to several other biological, chemical–physical or conventional thermal treatments due to its removal efficiency.

Enhanced heat stability of high protein emulsion systems provided by microparticulated whey proteins

There is a desire to incorporate increasingly high concentrations of whey proteins into nutritional beverages to improve their nutritional content and amino acid profile. However, typical thermal treatments for sterility or extended shelf life cause undesirable aggregation/gelation of the whey proteins. To address this instability issue at high protein concentration, there is a need to develop new protein ingredient technologies that can provide resistance to heat-induced aggregation. In this study, the heat stability characteristics of model food emulsions containing standard or microparticulated whey protein concentrate (WPC80) were compared. Oil-in-water emulsions [10% (wt/wt) sunflower oil] containing increasing concentrations of protein (from 2 to 12 wt%) were prepared at pH 7.0. The effects of retorting at 120 °C for 10 min on particle size distribution, rheological properties, susceptibility to heat-induced coagulation, microstructure and surface protein concentration of the standard and microparticulated WPCs were compared. Also, various levels of NaCl were added to examine the heat stability of micro-aggregated WPC in the presence of additional salts.Microparticulated WPC emulsions showed significantly enhanced heat stability compared with standard WPC emulsions. Emulsions with up to 11 wt% protein and no visible aggregation or gelation after retorting were produced using microparticulated WPC. For standard WPC emulsions under the same heating conditions, large aggregates were formed and there was a change in flow behaviour to non-Newtonian at 3 wt% protein. With this specific technology, high protein whey-based nutritional beverages can be produced using conventional thermal treatments.

회분식 광펄스 처리에 의한 마른 김의 비가열 살균

비가열 살균 기술의 하나인 광펄스 기술을 이용하여 마른 김에 존재하는 미생물에 대한 살균 효과와 품질 변화에 대하여 알아보았다. 마른 김에 1,000 V, 5 pps의 조건하에서 7.9 cm의 거리에서 광펄스 조사를 하였을 때 처리 1분 후에는 0.6 log CFU/g, 처리 10분 후에는 1.6 log CFU/g의 사멸 효과를 보였다. 같은 조건에서 광펄스 조사 후 마른 김의 표면 온도는 약 <TEX>$1.9^{\circ}C$</TEX>의 상승을 나타냈으며, 색도에 있어서는 명도가 증가하고, 적색도 및 황색도는 감소하는 경향을 보였으며, 처리 시간이 길어질수록 전체적인 색도의 차이가 크게 나타나는 결과를 보였으나 육안으로는 차이 정도를 확인할 수 없었다. 이러한 결과로 미루어 볼 때 광펄스 살균 기술은 품질 변화없이 마른 김에 존재하는 위해 미생물을 효과적으로 감소시킬 수 있을 것으로 판단된다. Intense pulsed light (IPL) is a nonthermal technology emerging as an alternative to conventional thermal treatment. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of IPL treatment on the microbial inactivation, color alteration, and temperature change of dried laver to evaluate the commercial feasibility of IPL as a sterilization method. IPL treatment (10 min at 1,000 V and 5 pps) resulted in approximately 1.6 log CFU/g decrease in microbial cell viability. After IPL treatment, the surface temperature of dried laver increased by <TEX>$1.9^{\circ}C$</TEX>. The color lightness of dried laver increased with increased treatment time, while redness and yellowness decreased. However, these color differences were not significant.

Potential of high isostatic pressure and pulsed electric fields to improve mass transport in pea tissue

The aim of this study was to investigate and evaluate the potential of high isostatic pressure (HP) and pulsed electric fields (PEF) for implementation in innovative legume processing concepts. Whole peas were subjected to HP (400MPa, 40°C, 10min) and PEF (5kVcm−1, 125kJkg−1) treatments. The impact on the pea tissue was assessed by means of microscopic changes, release of protein and oligosaccharides during treatment and rate of subsequent drying and rehydration steps. HP and PEF resulted in altered cell wall structures and improved mass transport in comparison to the control samples (20°C, 10min). Effects on the extent of diffusion depended on the molecular size of the cell compounds. More than 10% of raffinose equivalent sugars were removed during treatments while preserving more than 99.9% of nutritionally valuable protein. Hence, both emerging technologies may be implemented in pea processing for a targeted reduction of flatulence causing oligosaccharides. The drying and rehydration rates of whole peas were increased to a higher extent by HP and PEF than by conventional thermal treatments (80°C, 10min). These innovative pre-treatments may therefore be applied to enhance the efficiency of industrial mass transfer processes or to decrease the preparation time of meals with whole dried peas and thus increase the flexibility for the consumer.

Vibromechanic Way to Remove Residual Stresses

The article describes the process efficiency of ultrasonic mechanical stabilization of details in comparison with the conventional thermal treatment. It is shown that ultrasonic treatment enhances the productivity and quality of manufactured details. As a result of the proposed stabilizing treatment the relaxation of residual stresses, the required geometry, such as waviness and ovality, as well as necessary mechanical properties are ensured.

Improvement in gate bias stress instability of amorphous indium-gallium-zinc oxide thin-film transistors using microwave irradiation

In this study, we evaluated the effects of microwave irradiation (MWI) post-deposition-annealing (PDA) treatment on the gate bias stress instability of amorphous indium-gallium-zinc oxide thin-film transistors (a-IGZO TFTs) and compared the results with a conventional thermal annealing PDA treatment. The MWI-PDA-treated a-IGZO TFTs exhibited enhanced electrical performance as well as improved long-term stability with increasing microwave power. The positive turn-on voltage shift (ΔVON) as a function of stress time with positive bias and varying temperature was precisely modeled on a stretched-exponential equation, suggesting that charge trapping is a dominant mechanism in the instability of MWI-PDA-treated a-IGZO TFTs. The characteristic trapping time and average effective barrier height for electron transport indicate that the MWI-PDA treatment effectively reduces the defects in a-IGZO TFTs, resulting in a superior resistance against gate bias stress.