UC Berkeley

Unique chemistries of metal-nitrate precursors that enable the preparation of high-quality, high-performance metal-oxide thin films by solution deposition are reviewed.

Metal-oxide thin films are used extensively in electronic and energy applications. Solution processing offers a potentially scalable and inexpensive deposition method to expand the applications of metal-oxide films and to complement vacuum-deposition techniques. Among precursors for solution deposition, metal nitrates stand out for their ability to form high-quality metal-oxide thin films. This review focuses on unique aspects of metal-nitrate chemistry that have been exploited to advance the development of solution-processed thin films. We discuss the solid-state bulk, solution, and thin-film chemical reactions involving metal nitrates and illustrate how the resulting metal-oxide thin-film properties depend on the entire reaction pathway. To conclude, we offer perspective as to how understanding the chemistry of film formation from metal-nitrate precursors is useful for addressing the primary drivers for industrial manufacturing of solution-processed metal-oxide thin films.