EMERGING CONCEPTS AND CHALLENGES IN NANO METAL OXIDE THIN FILMS

The metal oxides thin films have created a revolution in technology. The nano metal oxide thin films continue in giving a new dimension to the understanding pushing the frontiers of science with new concepts and advanced applications. The present article is an attempt to compile the emerging concepts and the novel applications in four metal oxide systems; the article also gives the details of the complexities in the understanding of the physical phenomena. The four nano metal oxide systems coverd in this article are : (i) nano titanium oxide thin film photo catalysis in bio-medical (lung assisted) devices, (ii) nano Silver oxide thin film fluorescence in non-volatile optical memories, (iii) Nano Tungsten oxide thin film electro-chromics in efficient and smart windows and (iv) the p-type transparent conducting oxides (TCO) thin films for transparent electronics with a special reference to Zinc oxide thin films. It is interesting to note that the materials described in the four systems even though possessing a good knowledge base, still offer stiff challenges in the basic understanding. The emphasis in the present article is laid on the new applications, the related physics and chemistry. The preparation methods described are limited to those which have a scope for up-scaling (and for possible industrial adoption). This article is not a review of the state of the art for these metal oxide systems. The aim of this article is to introduce the new and emerging applications with the existing concepts.