IMPORTANCE OF SOFT SOLUTION PROCESSING FOR ADVANCED INORGANIC MATERIALS

Based upon the analysis of materials cycling and processing on the ear th, a thermodynamic concept for energetical and environmental problems has been proposed. It concludes that solution processing using aqueou s solutions should be the most important processing even for advanced materials. According to this concept, energetical and environmental fe atures of soft solution processing (SSP) are discussed in general, usi ng also some particular examples, such as BaTiO3. Applications of the SSP are shown with special emphasis on hydrothermal and/or electrochem ical synthesis of thin films and integration issues. Soft solution pro cessing allows one to fabricate in aqueous solutions shaped/sized/orie nted ceramics in only one step, without excess energies for firing/sin tering or melting and without expensive equipment, providing an enviro nmentally friendly route for the preparation of advanced ceramic mater ials.