November Issue of Materials World Concentrates on Thin Films

Materials World is the monthly publication of the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining (IOM3). This month’s issue focuses on thin films, and includes:

• Functional films – A deposition technique developed by the Department of Materials at Imperial College London is discussed by Neil Alford. Pulsed laser deposition and barium strontium titanate films are explored in relation to a new technique where the stoichiometry of thin films can be engineered during deposition.
• Hidden depths – Principal Research Scientist Alexander Shard of the National Physical Laboratory examines depth profiling and 3D reconstruction of organic thin films using cluster ion sputtering. The merits of secondary ion mass spectrometry as an analysis method are explored.
• The quest for new materials – The search for lead-free piezoelectrics using a high through-put combichem thin film approach. Dr Piers Anderson of Ilika Technologies discusses ultra high vacuum environments and a modified physical vapour disposition technique used to prove that this method can synthesise high quality complex oxides.

In addition, Materials World carries industry and conference news, as well as event listings. The mining features in November’s issue cover stabilisation of the Bath stone mines and reviving the Mexican lluvia de Oro mines.