 The focus of the deposition process is on the transport properties of the deposition material close to the insulator to metal transition. This is an important issue for materials in the fields of charge transport, strain and magnetic field sensing, as well as for the development of new strain and magnetic field sensors. The present topical review provides a review of recent developments in the field of Febid in the areas of charge transport, strain and magnetic field sensing, and the use of nanogranular materials for these applications. This article was authored by Michael Hough, Fabrizio Porreti, Christian Schwalbe, and others.