A wealth of information in one accessible book. Written by international experts from multidisciplinary fields, this in-depth exploration of oxide ultrathin films covers all aspects of these systems, starting with preparation and characterization, and going on to geometrical and electronic structure, as well as applications in current and future systems and devices. From the Contents: Synthesis and Preparation of Oxide Ultrathin Films Characterization Tools of Oxide Ultrathin Films Ordered Oxide Nanostructures on Metal Surfaces Unusual Properties of Oxides and Other Insulators in the Ultrathin Limit Silica and High-K Dielectrics Thin Films in Microelectronics Oxide Passive Films and Corrosion Protection Oxide Films as Catalytic Materials and as Models of Real Catalysts Oxide Films in Spintronics Oxide Ultrathin Films in Solid Oxide Fuel Cells Transparent Conducting and Chromogenic Oxide Films as Solar Energy Materials Oxide Ultrathin Films in Sensor Applications Ferroelectricity in Ultrathin Film Capacitors Titania Thin Films in Biocompatible Materials and Medical Implants Oxide Nanowires for New Chemical Sensor Devices

Preface xi List of Contributors xiii 1 Synthesis and Preparation of Oxide Ultrathin Films 1 Sergio Valeri and Stefania Benedetti 1.1 Introduction 1 1.2 Basic Aspects of Fabrication 3 1.3 Physical Methods 7 1.4 Chemical Methods 14 1.5 Oxide Nanosheets and Buried Layers 19 1.6 Conclusions and Perspectives 21 2 Characterization Tools of Ultrathin Oxide Films 27 David C. Grinter and Geoff Thornton 2.1 Introduction 27 2.2 Structure Determination Techniques 28 2.3 Spectroscopic Techniques 36 2.4 Summary 43 3 Ordered Oxide Nanostructures on Metal Surfaces 47 Falko P. Netzer and Svetlozar Surnev 3.1 Introduction 47 3.2 Fabrication of Oxide Nanostructures 48 3.3 Novel Structure Concepts 49 3.4 Dimensionality Aspects: from Two- to One- to Zero-Dimensional Structures 58 3.5 Transition from Two- to Three-Dimensional Structures: Growth of Bulk Structures out of Interfacial Layers 63 3.6 Synopsis 69 4 Unusual Properties of Oxides and Other Insulators in the Ultrathin Limit 75 Livia Giordano and Gianfranco Pacchioni 4.1 Introduction 75 4.2 Evolution of Band Gap with Film Thickness 77 4.3 Electronic Transport through Oxide Ultrathin Films 79 4.4 Work Function Changes Induced by Oxide Films 85 4.5 Nanoporosity: Oxide Films as Molecular and Atomic Sieves 89 4.6 Flexibility of Oxide Thin Films and Polaronic Distortion 94 4.7 Conclusions 97 5 Silica and High-k Dielectric Thin Films in Microelectronics 101 Gennadi Bersuker, Keith McKenna, and Alexander Shluger 5.1 Introduction 101 5.2 Electrical Characterization of High-k Dielectrics on Silicon 103 5.3 Theoretical Modeling of Gate Dielectric Films 104 5.4 Models of the Structure and Properties of HfO2 Gate Dielectric Films 106 5.5 Polycrystalline Gate Oxide Films 110 5.6 Conclusions and Outlook 114 6 Oxide Passive Films and Corrosion Protection 119 Philippe Marcus and Vincent Maurice 6.1 Introduction 119 6.2 Electrochemical Fundamentals of Passivation of Metals 119 6.3 Chemical Composition, Chemical States, and Thickness of Passive Films on Metals and Alloys 122 6.4 Two-Dimensional Oxide Passive Films on Metals 126 6.5 Growth and Nanostructure of Three-Dimensional Ultrathin Oxide Films 130 6.6 Corrosion Modeling by DFT 137 6.7 Conclusion 140 7 Oxide Films as Catalytic Materials and Models of Real Catalysts 145 Hans-Joachim Freund 7.1 Introduction 145 7.2 Oxide Thin Films Grown as Supports 146 7.3 Systems to Model Real Catalysts 154 7.4 Ultrathin-Film Catalysts 166 7.5 Synopsis 173 8 Oxide Films in Spintronics 181 Riccardo Bertacco and Franco Ciccacci 8.1 Introduction 181 8.2 Historical Notes 182 8.3 Half-Metallic Manganites: the Case of LSMO 183 8.4 Electric Control of Magnetization in Oxide Heterostructures 189 8.5 Conclusions and Perspectives 197 9 Oxide Ultrathin Films for Solid Oxide Fuel Cells 201 Tatsumi Ishihara 9.1 Overview of Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Technology 201 9.2 Preparation of Oxide Ion Conductor Thin Films 203 9.3 Nano Size Effects on Oxide Ion Conductor Films 206 9.4 Power Generating Property of SOFCs using LaGaO3 Thin Films 208 9.5 Development of m-SOFCs 216 9.6 Concluding Remarks 217 10 Transparent Conducting and Chromogenic Oxide Films as Solar Energy Materials 221 Claes-Goran Granqvist 10.1 Introduction 221 10.2 Transparent Infrared Reflectors and Transparent Electrical Conductors 223 10.3 Thermochromics 228 10.4 Electrochromics 232 10.5 Summary and Concluding Remarks 235 11 Oxide Ultrathin Films in Sensor Applications 239 Elise Brunet, Giorgio C. Mutinati, Stephan Steinhauer, and Anton Kock 11.1 Introduction 239 11.2 Sensor Applications 241 11.3 SnO2-Based Gas Sensors 254 11.4 Conclusion 258 12 Ferroelectricity in Ultrathin-Film Capacitors 265 Celine Lichtensteiger, Pavlo Zubko, Massimiliano Stengel, Pablo Aguado-Puente, Jean-Marc Triscone, Philippe Ghosez, and Javier Junquera 12.1 Introduction 265 12.2 Ferroelectricity: Basic Definitions 266 12.3 Theoretical Methods for the Study of Bulk Ferroelectric Materials 269 12.4 Modeling Ferroelectricity in Oxides 274 12.5 Theory of Ferroelectric Thin Films 277 12.6 Polarization Domains and Domain Walls 287 12.7 Artificially Layered Ferroelectrics 291 12.8 Conclusion and Perspectives 296 13 Titania Thin Films in Biocompatible Matals and Medical Implants 309 Fabio Variola and Antonio Nanci 13.1 The Advent of Titanium-Based Materials 309 13.2 Biologically Relevant Physicochemical Properties of Native Titania Thin Films 310 13.3 Strategies for Modification of the Surface Oxide Layer 311 13.4 Biological Surface Science 316 13.5 Biological Response to Surface Oxide Layers 317 13.6 Slow Release Capacity of Nanoporous Titanium Oxide Layers 321 13.7 Conclusion and Perspectives 322 Acknowledgments 324 14 Oxide Nanowires for New Chemical Sensor Devices 329 Alberto Vomiero, Elisabetta Comini, and Giorgio Sberveglieri 14.1 Outline 329 14.2 Introduction 329 14.3 Synthesis 331 14.4 Integration 334 14.5 Metal Oxide Chemical Sensors 335 14.6 Conductometric Sensors 336 14.7 Optical Sensors 340 Index 345