Ceramic thin films on plastics: a versatile transfer process for large area as well as patterned coating.

A versatile technique for fabricating ceramic thin films on plastics has been proposed. The technique comprises (i) the deposition of a gel film by spin- or dip-coating on a silicon substrate coated beforehand with a release layer, (ii) the firing of the gel film into a ceramic film, and (iii) its transfer onto plastics by melting or softening the plastics surface. Reflective anatase and electrically conductive indium-tin-oxide (ITO) thin films were prepared on acrylic resin and polycarbonate substrates. Patterned ITO thin films could also be fabricated on plastics by using a mother silicon substrate with periodic grooves.