Abstract: Low porosity titania forms containing only a small amount of hydroxyl groups and possessing a high refractive index which are property stable regardless of humidity level and which prohibit electrical and gas leakage and optical loss, are obtained in a sol-gel process by rapidly heating to curing temperature, e.g. at a rate of 8000.degree. C./min. One application provides more stable, longer-lasting sol-gel prepared optical interference filters. Other applications provide capacitors with high capacitance and optical planar waveguides.

Abstract: Low porosity titania forms containing only a small amount of hydroxyl groups and possessing a high refractive index which are property stable regardless of humidity level and which prohibit electrical and gas leakage and optical loss, are obtained in a sol-gel process by rapidly heating to curing temperature, e.g. at a rate of 8000.degree. C./min. One application provides more stable, longer-lasting sol-gel prepared optical interference filters. Other applications provide capacitors with high capacitance and optical planar waveguides.

Abstract: A substantially stoichiometric film of titanium nitride is provided by heating a substrate upon which a solution containing titanium has been applied at a substantially ambient temperature to provide a gel-film containing titanium on the surface of the substrate in an ammonia atmosphere. The substrate is heated to a temperature at which the titanium in the titanium-containing gel-film is substantially completely transformed to a substantially stoichiometric titanium nitride film, and at a rate of temperature change that is great enough to prevent the formation of nonstoichiometric titanium nitride compounds or other undesired titanium compounds in the resulting titanium nitride film. The invention is particularly suited for use in microelectronic devices.