Routes to net shape electroceramic devices and thick films

The net shape fabrication of a range of electroceramic devices and thick films is described. The fabrication routes involve producing homogeneous and formable ceramic dough using a viscous polymer processing technique.. with various subsequent shape-forming operations to produce devices with sizes ranging from tens of millimetres to tens of microns. The advantages of these processing routes are discussed and examples of large (>1 mm) planar and 3-D components (hemispheres, tubes and helices) and structures with small ( <150 mum) feature sizes (thick films and microrod arrays) are presented. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.