Chemical solution deposition of perovskite thin films

The use of chemical solution deposition for the fabrication of perovskite thin films is reviewed. A variety of approaches including sol-gel, chelate, and metalloorganic decomposition have all been employed with success in the preparation of these materials. For a number of perovskite compounds, thin-film properties that equal those of the bulk materials have been obtained. Various aspects of the solution chemistries for the three different routes are discussed, and the effects of solution precursor properties on the conversion of the as deposited film to the desired perovskite phase are discussed. The roles that thermodynamic and kinetic factors have on this transformation process are also reviewed. Finally, some of the applications for solution-derived thin films currently under development are reviewed, and the inherent limitations of the deposition technique for device manufacture are considered.