Surface morphology engineering of metal‐oxide films by chemical spray pyrolysis

The Chemical Spray Pyrolysis technique and a combination of sol‐gel and spray pyrolysis techniques have been used in order to monitor the morphology of metal‐oxide‐based thin films to be used as functional materials. We can obtain surfaces from specular to rough‐porous according to the physico‐chemical conditions of the precursor/spraying solution. We have produced coatings of ZnO‐based and NiOx‐based coatings from alcoholic and aqueous solutions. A single glass, ITO‐precoated glass or alumina was used as the substrate. Porous materials of WO3, WO3‐SnO2 and SnO2 have been produced by spraying either inorganic or metal alkoxide gels over a hot substrate. The morphologies of coatings were evaluated by either SEM or optical measurements. (© 2007 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)