The commercial application of these projects is the manufacture of pyroelectric thermal imaging equipment. Uncooled pyroelectric and dielectric bolometer detectors are now major contenders for future night vision, weapons targeting and guidance systems. Film Patterning Direct and indirect fine-patterning of PZT thin films have been successfully made by utilizing the photolysis of chemically modified gel films. The irradiation of chemically modified gel films with UV light corresponding to this transition was found to dissociate the chelate bonds and simutaneously change the solubility of these gel films in some solvents. These changes in the properties of the gel films caused by the UV irradiation have been shown to be applicable to the fine patterning of oxide thin films.
Smart windows are electrochromic devices used for energy control and display devices.
Applications for Smart Windows are found in transport and in buildings to reduce glare and solar heat. The active material is a thin tungsten oxide layer, which reversibly darkens when a voltage is applied. Many techniques have previously been used for the deposition of electrochromic films, principally sputtering, evaporation and, more recently, sol-gel methods. The effects of processing parameters on microstructure, optical and electrochemical properties of the films are investigated. Sol-gel issues are the sensitivity of the precursors solutions to moisture, firing time and temperature.