A Surface Sol−Gel Process of TiO₂ and Other Metal Oxide Films with Molecular Precision

Fabrication of metal oxide thin films with thickness control of nanometer precision is an important technology that leads to wide practical applications. The present study demonstrates that a surface sol−gel process, composed of chemisorption of alkoxide, rinsing, hydrolysis, and drying, is a superior technique for the preparation of ultrathin metal oxide films with molecular precision. The simplicity of this process should be a great advantage in commercial production of nanosized oxide films.