Conductive ceramics and films and their applications

• Main Author: Loh, Yan Ling
• Other Authors: Zhu Weiguang
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: 2014
• Subjects: DRNTU::Engineering
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10356/60447
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

Final year project provides great opportunities for students to not only work independently but also push the limits analysing and solving problems and challenges. This researched has explicitly enhanced the knowledge and understanding on ceramics. This report first provides a brief description on traditional ceramics and the evolution from traditional ceramics to advanced ceramics. Ceramics can be found in our daily lives, and it is well known that the strength and toughness of ceramics increase along with the evolution of ceramics. Back in the earlier years, traditional ceramics can be found in the form of pottery, bricks, and tiles and cement while advanced ceramics are greatly used in electronic, optics, aerospace, and biomedical industries today. This project particularly focuses on conductive ceramics which falls under the group of advanced ceramics. Conductive ceramics are further grouped into semiconductors, conductors or superconductors. Conductive ceramics are ceramics that are able to conduct electricity to certain extend depending on which groups they fall in. Several specific conductive elements such as silicon carbide, tin oxide, zirconia and etc. are extensively discussed in the later sections of the report, including how these elements contribute to the electronic industry today, how they were used in various electronic devices. In addition, thin films (zinc oxide) are also discussed, including how these thin films are used in the electronic devices such as the solar cells. Due to their attractive properties, ceramics will play an important role in the advancement of technology and hence replaced material such as silicon in some industries sectors. The discussions and examples reported in this report will prove that ceramics have an indispensable impact in our lives.