A film-forming method in which film-formation is performed by heat-treating a mist of a raw material solution, the method including: dissolving metal gallium in an acidic solution containing at least one of hydrobromic acid and hydroiodic acid to prepare the raw material solution having a concentration of a metal impurity of less than 2%; and atomizing the raw material solution into a mist, and performing film-forming. This method can provide a film-forming method that can form a film having good crystallinity at a high film-forming rate.

A synthetic methodology for robust, nanostructured films of cobalt oxide over metal evaporated gold or similar material layer of, e.g., 50 nm, directly onto glass or other substrates via aerosol assisted chemical vapor deposition (AACVD). This approach allows film growth rates in the range of, e.g., 0.8 nm/s, using a commercially available precursor, which is ~10-fold the rate of electrochemical synthetic routes. Thus, 250 nm thick cobalt oxide films may be generated in only 5 minutes of deposition time. The water oxidation reaction for such films may start at ~0.6 V vs Ag/AgCl with current density of 10 mA/cm.sup.2 and is achieved at ~0.75 V corresponding to an overpotential of 484 mV. This current density is further increased to 60 mA/cm.sup.2 at ~1.5 V (vs Ag/AgCl). Electrochemically active surface area (ECSA) calculations indicate that the synergy between a Au-film, acting as electron sink, and the cobalt oxide film(s), acting as catalytic layer(s), are more pronounced than the surface area effects.

A method for providing a component for using in a plasma processing chamber is provided, wherein the component has a plasma facing surface. A metal oxide layer is provided on the plasma facing surface of the component. The metal oxide layer is exposed to a fluorine containing gas at a temperature of less than 600° C. for at least 2 hours at a partial pressure of at least 0.1 bar.

A simple, one-step method for producing a homogenous CeO.sub.2—TiO.sub.2 composite thin film using aerosol-assisted chemical vapor deposition (“CVD”) of a solution containing triacetatocerium (III) and tetra isopropoxytitanium (IV) on a fluorine-doped tin oxide (“FTO”) substrate at a temperature ranging from about 500 to about 650° C. Methods for using the film produced by this method.

An aerosol-assisted chemical vapor-deposition (AACVD) method of making NiPd nano-alloy electrocatalyst. The method includes subjecting a mixture including Pd(II)acetylacetonate Pd(C.sub.5H.sub.7O.sub.2).sub.2, Ni(II)acetylacetonate Ni(C.sub.5H.sub.7O.sub.2).sub.2 and a solvent to AACVD, to form a NiPd nano-alloy electrocatalyst. The NiPd nano-alloy electrocatalyst is formed on a surface of a porous metallic substrate in a single-step. The electrocatalyst of the present disclosure exhibits excellent OER activity, demonstrates excellent durability during prolonged water electrolysis experiments and imposing kinetics for OER.

A CaTiO.sub.3—TiO.sub.2 composite electrode and method of making is described. The composite electrode comprises a substrate with an average 2-12 μm thick layer of CaTiO.sub.3—TiO.sub.2 composite particles having average diameters of 0.2-2.2 μm. The method of making the composite electrode involves contacting the substrate with an aerosol comprising a solvent, a calcium complex, and a titanium complex. The CaTiO.sub.3—TiO.sub.2 composite electrode is capable of being used in a photoelectrochemical cell for water splitting.

A simple, one-step method for producing a homogenous CeO.sub.2—TiO.sub.2 composite thin film using aerosol-assisted chemical vapor deposition (“CVD”) of a solution containing triacetatocerium (III) and tetra isopropoxytitanium (IV) on a fluorine-doped tin oxide (“FTO”) substrate at a temperature ranging from about 500 to about 650° C. Methods for using the film produced by this method.

A method of making a nanostructured palladium thin film electrode is described. The method involves contacting a substrate with an aerosol comprising a solvent and a Pd(II) compound. The substrate is heated, and no hydrogen gas or an additional reducing agent is required to reduce the Pd(II) to form the deposited thin film. The nanostructured palladium thin film electrode is capable of detecting compounds such as hydrazine in an aqueous sample with a 10 nM limit of detection.

A method of making a nanostructured palladium thin film electrode is described. The method involves contacting a substrate with an aerosol comprising a solvent and a Pd(II) compound. The substrate is heated, and no hydrogen gas or an additional reducing agent is required to reduce the Pd(II) to form the deposited thin film. The nanostructured palladium thin film electrode is capable of detecting compounds such as hydrazine in an aqueous sample with a 10 nM limit of detection.

A method comprises transporting a first stream of a carrier gas to a delivery device that contains a liquid precursor compound. The method further comprises transporting a second stream of the carrier gas to a point downstream of the delivery device. The first stream after emanating from the delivery device and the second stream are combined to form a third stream, such that the dew point of the vapor of the liquid precursor compound in the third stream is lower than the temperature of the plumbing that transports the vapor to a CVD reactor or a plurality of CVD reactors. The flow direction of the first stream, the flow direction of the second stream and the flow direction of the third stream are unidirectional and are not opposed to each other.