A composition for formation of thin-film patterns of a metal oxide which comprises a metal alkoxide and one or more nitro compounds selected from the group consisting of nitrobenzyl alcohol derivatives, nitrobenzaldehyde derivatives, nitrostyrol derivatives, nitroacetophenone derivatives, nitroanisole derivatives and nitrofuran derivatives. This composition is applied to a substrate which is then irradiated with light to perform patterning by utilizing the difference in solubility between the light-irradiated portion and the non-light-irradiated portion, attributed to the photodecomposition reaction of the irradiated portion. A photoreactive compound is added to a starting solution which contains an organic solvent and an organic metal compound, the solution is misted, and the resulting mist is deposited on a substrate while irradiating with light.
This invention provides a method of manufacturing a diffraction grating capable of scribing by an interference light at a lower power density than usual. That is, a coating solution containing a metal alkoxide and a .beta.-diketone is coated on a substrate, the coated film is heat treated to form a gelled film and then an interference light is irradiated to the gelled film, to manufacture a diffraction grating.
A process is disclosed for making a bismuth layered compound, such as Bi.sub.2 SrTa.sub.2 O.sub.9, by forming mixture of Bi.sub.2 O.sub.3, Ta.sub.2 O.sub.5 and a compound selected from strontium hydroxide or strontium nitrate, grinding the mixture, shaping the ground mixture at elevated temperature and pressure to form a pellet of bismuth strontium tantalum oxide having a fluorite structure and then heating the pellet in a flow of oxygen at 800-1000.degree. C. until a single phase bismuth layered compound is obtained.
A composition for forming a film, comprising a solution of metal compounds in an organic solvent, wherein a molar ratio of metals in said solution is (Sr.sub.1-n R.sub.n):Bi:(Ta.sub.Y Nb.sub.1-Y)=X:Q:2, R is at least one element selected from the group consisting of La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Eu, Sm, Tb, Gd and Er, and 0<n.ltoreq.0.1, 0.4.ltoreq.X<1, 0.ltoreq.Y.ltoreq.1 and 1.5.ltoreq.Q.ltoreq.3.5, can be used to form a ferroelectric film. This ferroelectric film is useful in a ferroelectric capacitor, particularly a ferroelectric capacitor for a non-volatile memory.
A ferroelectric element comprising a ferroelectric material containing at least two metals, the ferroelectric element having been produced by a process including a sol-gel process in the presence of a thickener and/or an association preventive from aqueous solutions of respective salts of the metals. The ferroelectric element is advantageous in that the handling of starting compounds and the production of the ferroelectric element are easy, the storage stability of the starting compound solution is good, the cost is low, the ferroelectric element can be formed as a thin layer, particles on the surface of the thin layer are fine and dense, and, hence, the surface smoothness is good. The ferroelectric element is excellent also in piezoelectric properties and therefore can be advantageously used as a piezoelectric element in a piezoelectric ink jet head.
A ceramic layer, in particular having ferroelectric, dielectric or superconducting properties, uses compounds with a simple structure as precursors and only methanoic acid, acetic acid or propionic acid and, where appropriate, water as solvent.
