Sol-gel processing of tellurite materials from tellurium ethoxide precursor

An investigation into the use of sol-gel processing for the fabrication of tellurite thin films from tellurium ethoxide precursor is described. The hydrolysis and condensation of tellurium ethoxide are discussed, together with the results of the decomposition process of its hydrolysis product under air and argon atmospheres. The structural and morphological properties of the resulting tellurite films are characterised. The success in sol-gel processing for tellurite materials provides new opportunities for making tellurite thin film devices with practical applications. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.