Thick films of solid solutions of lead-magnesium-niobium-oxide (PMN) and lead-titanate (PTO) were deposited by aerosol combustion. Films consisted of submicron ceramic particles synthesized by combustion of a metalorganic solution in a methane-oxygen flame. The particulate material was deposited on heated substrates (200°C) and subsequently sintered at elevated temperatures. Results varied with starting chemistry and sintering conditions. As-deposited materials were mixed perovskite-pyrochlore phase. Sintering at low temperatures produced pure perovskite material that was not completely dense. Sintering at high temperatures produced dense ceramics of pyrochlore material. This technique requires further optimization for direct deposition of continuous films, but is immediately suitable for producing fine powders for tape casting of capacitors, etc.

A new chemical and chemical/ultrasonic approach to the preparation of VO2 films and VO2-impregnated bulk materials has been developed. In this approach, a V2O5 sol prepared by quenching is used to coat SiO2 substrates. The resulting gel-film is heat treated in a reducing atmosphere to form a film identified as VO2 from the results of X-ray diffraction and both optical and resistivity measurements, which reveal the phase transition characteristic of vanadium dioxide. The advantage of this approach to the formation of VO2 is that the V2O5 sol can be used to impregnate porous materials, which are then heat treated to form an optically active composite material. The switching properties of the VO2 films are investigated using optical and resistivity measurements, and the results are compared to those obtained for VO2-films prepared by more-conventional methods.

As MOSFET dimensions are aggressively scaled, minimizing the thermal budget becomes critical for limiting the diffusion of channel profiles. Unfortunately, high quality dielectrics with low deposition temperatures have not been readily available. Typical room temperature dielectrics are porous and electrically leaky. A promising technique for low temperature dielectric deposition is Jet Vapor Deposition (JVD). [1] Two coaxial quartz nozzles spray the process gases to the substrate surface at super-sonic speeds while a microwave cavity generates a plasma in the nozzle. [2] We have successfully deposited silicon nitride films using SiH4/He and N2/He gas mixtures. These are the first reported JVD results on 200 mm wafers.

Barium titanate microstructures are fabricated on silicon(100)/platinum substrates coated with photoresist and titanium by a combination of hydrothermal and lift-off techniques. The microstructures of 10μm width are well defined. The barium titanate films grow in its cubic phase. Analysis by means of x-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy shows that only a part of the titanium layer is affected by the hydrothermal reaction. This limitation may be overcome by application of electrochemistry.

ZnO thin films were potentiostatically deposited on ITO electrode in 0.1 M Zn(NO3)2 and the film growth mechanism was investigated by using FTIR and electrochemical quartz crystal microbalance(EQCM). Intermediates formed in the initial stage were identified as soluble zinc hydroxides and a critical concentration of OH was required for the ZnO to be deposited. A rapid growth rate of ZnO film observed in the presence of O2 was attributed to the higher cathodic current which produces OH