This paper reviews novel techniques developed in our laboratory to deposit ceramic
thin films from aqueous solutions. All the techniques are based on the heterogeneous nucleation
and growth phenomenon; ceramic precipitates are prone to be formed preferentially on
substrate/solution interfaces when the rate of the formation of the precipitates is appropriately
controlled. In “oxidative soak coating” method, metal ions with a lower valence state are
oxidized in homogeneous solutions to those with a higher valence state; thereby coatings of SnO2,
MnO2, CeO2, Co3O4 and Fe3O4 have been deposited. In “ligand decomposition” method, ligands
of an indium peroxo- complex are decomposed to promote spontaneous hydrolysis of the indium
ion; thereby In2O3 coating has been deposited. In “enzyme-assisted precipitation” method,
precipitant of metal ions is supplied by urease immobilized on a substrate to promote local
deposition of ceramics on the substrate, by which hydroxyapatite coating has been rapidly
deposited. The control of the rate of the precipitation reactions is the most important parameter.
Some properties of the resultant coatings are also presented.