From Precursors to Thin Films - Thermoanalytical Techniques in the Thin Film Technology

Processing thin films for advanced applications, for instance in electronics and optoelectronics, involves several steps starting from precursor synthesis and ending up with the devices. Especially when optimizing the first steps of this chain of processes, thermoanalytical techniques play an important role. The review will focus on the main chemical deposition methods (CVD, ALE, spray pyrolysis, sol-gel) giving selected examples of problem-solving by thermal analysis. The techniques discussed are TG, DTA/DSC, EGA and their combinations. High-temperature X-ray diffraction (HTXRD) is also a powerful tool for in situ studies of thin films. The examples are taken from solar cell, superconductor and flat panel electroluminescent display technologies. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.