Polymer-assisted-deposition: a chemical solution route for a wide range of materials.

In this tutorial article, the recent development of polymer assisted deposition (PAD) for the growth of a wide range of materials, in particular in thin films, is reviewed. Specifically, we describe the unique chemistry and processes of PAD for the deposition of metals, metal-oxides, metal-nitrides, metal-carbides, and their derived composites. Many examples are given not only to illustrate the powerfulness of PAD for high quality coatings, but also to give readers an opportunity to evaluate this technique for specific applications. The challenging issues related to PAD, based on the authors' experience, are also discussed in this review article.