Electroceramic thin films hold out the promise of applications in entirely new generations of advanced microdevices that may revolutionize technology, creating multibillion dollar markets in the process. Less glamorous than the high-temperature superconductors, but probably just as important, are electrically conductive, ferroelectric, piezoelectric, pyroelectric, electro-optic and magnetic films. The list of potential applications of films having these properties is virtually endless, but there are still some issues to be resolved before fully functioning devices reach the market. All these issues and more are discussed in this work.
