Abstract: A novel technique was developed to lithographically make fine patterns on Y-stabilized zirconia films (YSZ
films), using methanol as solvent, zirconium oxynitrate and yttrium nitrate as precursor, acetylacetone (AcAcH) as chemical modification. Basing on
sol-gel process, an UV photosensitive sol and gel films by chemical modification in AcAcH to form chelate complexes with Zr ions, were obtained from
which the YSZ films to be patterned can be prepared. By means of UV-Visible spectrophotometers, it was found that the chelate complexes with AcAcH bonded
with Zr ions can exist in the gel films, and show good thermal stability and photochemical stability under the atmosphere and visible light and room
temperature, and have a UV absorption peak located at around wavelength 310nm. The UV laser light with the wavelength of 325nm irradiation can
decompose the chelate complexes in gel films, and change the physical and chemical characteristic of the gel films, from which the solubility of gel
films irradiated by UV laser light in solvents including methanol, etc., is reduced remarkably. Utilizing such characteristics, YSZ films with fine
patterns can be obtained by irradiating the gel film with UV laser light via pattern mask and dissolving the non-irradiated area in suitable solvent
and annealing at 800℃ for 20min. The results via XRD patterns test show that the YSZ fine pattern films are of cubic phase.

Key words: ZrO₂ thin films, sol-gel process, photosensitivity, fine patterning