Download or read book Densification and Crystallization of Zirconia Thin Films Prepared by Sol-gel Processing written by and published by . This book was released on 1993 with total page 28 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: We have investigated the effects of precursor nature and heat treatment schedule on the densification and crystallization behavior of sol-gel derived zirconia thin films. Precursor solutions were prepared from n-propanol, zirconium (IV) n-propoxide, and either acetic acid, or 2,4-pentanedione (acac) and water additions. By controlling the ligand type and ligand-to-metal ratio, we were able to prepare films which displayed significant differences in densification behavior. We attribute the dissimilarity in densification to variations in the nature of the as-deposited films, as influenced by ligand type and concentration. While the acac- derived film was a physical gel, (i.e., a physical aggregation of the oligomeric species), the acetic acid-derived film, which exhibited less consolidation, was a chemical gel that could not be redissolved in the parent solvent. Films prepared with large acac/metal ratios and small water additions exhibited minimal crosslinking at 25°C, displayed the greatest consolidation ((approximately)86% shrinkage) and the highest refractive index (n = 2.071) when heat treated. These results indicate the importance that M-O-M bonds (crosslinks) formed at low temperature can have on densification behavior. We also report on the effects of heat-treatment schedules and ramp rates on densification behavior. All of the films of the present study crystallized into the cubic phase, at temperatures ranging from (approximately)400°C to greater than 700°C, depending on the heating rate.