Metal alkoxide-containing composition

Abstract

For example, when used as a material for forming metal oxide thin films, the objective is to provide a metal alkoxide-containing composition that can form metal oxide thin films with fewer cracks and lower surface roughness compared to conventional thin films, even when the thickness is increased. [Solution] A metal alkoxide-containing composition comprising the following component (A) and the following component (B), wherein the mass-based content ratio (A / B) is 70.0 / 30.0 to 99.9 / 0.1. (A) Metal alkoxides with a total of 1 to 40 carbon atoms, (B) A hemiacetal ester of a carboxylic acid consisting of a 1-4 valent carboxylic acid and a vinyl ether, wherein the number of carbon atoms after removing the vinyl group of the vinyl ether is 1-6.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a metal alkoxide-containing composition, for example, a metal alkoxide-containing composition capable of forming a metal oxide thin film or the like.

Background Art

[0002] Metal oxides are used in various fields because they have excellent properties such as hardness, heat resistance, insulation / conductivity characteristics, heat conduction characteristics, and chemical stability. In particular, by forming a metal oxide film on the surface of a substrate such as metal or resin, the properties of the metal oxide are imparted to the surface. As methods for forming a metal oxide film, sputtering, chemical vapor deposition, sol-gel method using an alkoxide, coating and firing method, and the like are known. In particular, the sol-gel method and the coating and firing method, which can easily form a metal oxide film by coating and firing, have attracted attention because of their high productivity, high raw material utilization rate, and the ability to form a film regardless of the shape.

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses a predetermined coating solution containing a metal alkoxide, an organic compound capable of forming a chelate, a trifunctional or higher silane compound, a metal alkoxide, metal oxide particles, water, and an organic solvent. By applying this coating solution to a substrate and performing UV treatment and heat treatment at a low temperature, a film having sufficient hardness and scratch resistance and hardly generating cracks can be formed. Further, Patent Document 2 discloses a method of forming a film by electrostatic spraying a sol-gel solution composed of a metal alkoxide, a stabilizer, and a solvent and a uniform mixture of a powder having the same composition as the solid content of the sol-gel solution. By optimizing the mixing ratio of the sol-gel solution and the powder, a film having few cracks and high surface uniformity can be formed.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

[0005] For example, when using metal oxide coatings for piezoelectric elements, increasing the film thickness is sometimes considered to improve the piezoelectric effect. Similarly, for applications such as improving the insulation properties of metal oxide coatings, the formation of thicker films is sometimes considered. While the sol-gel method for forming metal oxide films is a simple method, when attempting to increase the thickness, cracks are more likely to occur due to thermal shrinkage during solvent drying or firing, and the surface of the resulting film is more prone to unevenness, resulting in a rougher surface compared to cases where the film thickness is relatively small.

[0006] The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and aims to provide a metal alkoxide-containing composition that, when used as a material for forming metal oxide thin films, can form metal oxide thin films with fewer cracks and lower surface roughness compared to conventional thin films, even when the thickness is increased. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] As a result of diligent research to solve the above problems, the present inventors have discovered that by using a combination of a predetermined metal alkoxide and a predetermined carboxylic acid hemiacetal ester, it is possible to obtain a metal oxide thin film with reduced crack formation and low surface roughness, even when the thickness is increased compared to conventional thin films, thus completing the present invention.

[0008] In other words, the present invention relates to the following [1] to [3]. [1] A metal alkoxide-containing composition comprising the following component (A) and component (B), wherein the mass-based content ratio (A / B) is 70.0 / 30.0 to 99.9 / 0.1. (A) Metal alkoxides with a total of 1 to 40 carbon atoms, (B) A hemiacetal ester of a carboxylic acid consisting of a 1-4 valent carboxylic acid and a vinyl ether, wherein the number of carbon atoms after removing the vinyl group of the vinyl ether is 1-6. [2] A composition for forming a metal oxide thin film, comprising the metal alkoxide-containing composition described in item [1] above and (E) a solvent, wherein the amount of (E) is 0 to 5000 parts by mass per 100 parts by mass of the total of components (A) and (B) in the metal alkoxide-containing composition. [3] A metal oxide thin film formed using the metal alkoxide-containing composition described in item [1] above or the metal oxide thin film forming composition described in item [2] above. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the present invention, for example, when used as a material for forming metal oxide thin films, it is possible to provide a metal alkoxide-containing composition that can form metal oxide thin films with fewer cracks and lower surface roughness compared to conventional thin films, even when the thickness is increased. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] Embodiments of the present invention will be described below. In this invention, a numerical range defined using the symbol "~" includes the values ​​at both ends (upper and lower limits) of "~". For example, "10~30" represents a range of 10 or more and 30 or less.

[0011] [Metal alkoxide-containing composition] A metal alkoxide-containing composition according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises the following component (A) and the following component (B). (A) Metal alkoxides with a total of 1 to 40 carbon atoms, (B) A hemiacetal ester of a carboxylic acid consisting of a 1-4 valent carboxylic acid and a vinyl ether, wherein the number of carbon atoms after removing the vinyl group of the vinyl ether is 1-6.

[0012] Furthermore, the mass-based content ratio (A / B) of component (A) and component (B) is 70.0 / 30.0 to 99.9 / 0.1.

[0013] In the following, "(A) Metal alkoxides with a total of 1 to 40 carbon atoms" may be simply referred to as "(A) Metal alkoxide" or "(A)", and "(B) Hemiacetal esters of 1 to 4-valent carboxylic acids with 1 to 6 carbon atoms excluding the vinyl group of vinyl ethers" may be simply referred to as "(B) Hemiacetal esters of carboxylic acids" or "(B)".

[0014] By including (A) and (B) in a predetermined mass ratio range, when used as a material for forming metal oxide thin films, for example, it is possible to suppress cracking and form a uniform metal oxide thin film with low surface roughness, even when the thickness is increased compared to conventional thin films.

[0015] (A) Metal alkoxides with a total of 1 to 40 carbon atoms Component (A) is a metal alkoxide with a total number of carbon atoms of 1 to 40. That is, any metal alkoxide whose alcohol bonded to the metal has a total number of carbon atoms of 1 to 40 is acceptable. Examples of such metal alkoxides can be represented by the general formula (1): M(OR)n (where M is a metal, R is an alkyl group with 1 to 40 carbon atoms, and n is the same number as the valence of the metal M, and the product of the number of carbon atoms of R and n is 1 to 40). The total number of carbon atoms of the metal alkoxide can be appropriately determined between 1 and 40 depending on the combination of metal and alcohol, but 9 to 40 is preferred, 9 to 30 is more preferred, and 9 to 24 is even more preferred.

[0016] The metal constituting component (A) (M in the general formula (1) above) is not particularly limited, and various metals from the periodic table can be used, for example, alkali metals, alkaline earth metals, typical metals, transition metals, lanthanides, actinides, etc. Specifically, alkali metals include lithium ions and sodium ions, alkaline earth metals include magnesium ions, calcium ions and barium ions, typical metals include aluminum ions, lead ions, gallium ions, indium ions and tin ions, transition metals include scandium ions, titanium ions, vanadium ions, chromium ions, manganese ions, iron ions, cobalt ions, nickel ions, copper ions, zinc ions, yttrium ions, zirconium ions, niobium ions, molybdenum ions, ruthenium ions, rhodium ions, palladium ions, silver ions, cadmium ions, rhenium ions, iridium ions, platinum ions, gold ions and mercury ions, etc., and lanthanides include cerium ions, lanthanum ions and gadolinium ions, etc.

[0017] Furthermore, preferred alkali metals include lithium ions, alkaline earth metals include magnesium ions, typical metals include aluminum ions and tin ions, transition metals include titanium ions, manganese ions, iron ions, nickel ions, copper ions, zirconium ions, niobium ions, ruthenium ions, platinum ions, and gold ions, and lanthanides include cerium ions and gadolinium ions.

[0018] From the viewpoint of more effectively and reliably achieving the effects of the present invention, the metal constituting component (A) is preferably one or more selected from alkaline earth metals, transition metals, and typical metals, more preferably one or more selected from transition metals, and even more preferably one or more selected from titanium, zirconium, and niobium.

[0019] (A) component, as the alcohol constituting it, is not particularly limited as long as the total carbon number of the (A) component can be 1 to 40, and it can be appropriately selected in consideration of the valence of the metal constituting the (A) component.

[0020] Examples of such alcohols include aliphatic alcohols having 1 to 22 carbon atoms. In the example of the general formula (1), it corresponds to those represented by R-OH. As the aliphatic alcohol having 1 to 22 carbon atoms, it may be saturated, unsaturated, straight-chain, or branched-chain. Also, when the (A) component consists of a metal and a plurality of alkoxy groups, the alcohols constituting the alkoxy groups may be the same or different. Examples of the aliphatic alcohol having 1 to 22 carbon atoms include saturated aliphatic alcohols such as methyl alcohol, ethyl alcohol, n-propyl alcohol, n-butyl alcohol, n-pentyl alcohol, n-hexyl alcohol, n-heptyl alcohol, n-octyl alcohol, n-nonyl alcohol, n-decyl alcohol, n-undecyl alcohol, n-dodecyl alcohol, n-tridecyl alcohol, n-tetradecyl alcohol, n-pentadecyl alcohol, n-hexadecyl alcohol, n-heptadecyl alcohol, n-octadecyl alcohol, n-nonadecyl alcohol, n-icosyl alcohol, n-henicosyl alcohol, n-docosyl alcohol, isopropyl alcohol, isobutyl alcohol, sec-butyl alcohol, tert-butyl alcohol, isopentyl alcohol, neopentyl alcohol, tert-pentyl alcohol, 2-ethylhexyl alcohol, etc.

[0021] (A) component of the alcohol, considering the valence of the metal to be combined, the total carbon number of the (A) component may be appropriately selected so that it is 1 to 40. However, from the viewpoint of more effectively and surely achieving the effects of the present invention, the carbon number of the alcohol is preferably 2 to 22, more preferably 2 to 12, and even more preferably 2 to 8. Specifically, one or more selected from methyl alcohol, ethyl alcohol, n-propyl alcohol, n-butyl alcohol, isopropyl alcohol, isobutyl alcohol, sec-butyl alcohol, tert-butyl alcohol, isopentyl alcohol, neopentyl alcohol, tert-pentyl alcohol, 2-ethylhexyl alcohol are suitable.

[0022] The (A) component applicable to the embodiment of the present invention may have the above-described configuration. Specific examples include zirconium tetrapropoxide, zirconium tetrabutoxide, titanium tetraethoxide, titanium tetraisopropoxide, titanium tetrabutoxide, titanium tetraisobutoxide, niobium pentaethoxide, niobium pentabutoxide, aluminum triisopropoxide, aluminum tributoxide, and the like.

[0023] Also, (A) can be used in either liquid or solid form, but it is preferably liquid. From the viewpoint of film-forming properties, as (A), the viscosity at 25°C is preferably in the range of 10 to 1000 mPa·s, more preferably 50 to 800 mPa·s, and even more preferably 100 to 700 mPa·s. The viscosity can be determined, for example, by using a B-type viscometer manufactured by BROOKFIELD and by a method conforming to JIS K 7117-1. When dissolving the solid (A) to make it liquid or adjusting it to a desired viscosity, for example, an alcohol-based solvent or the like can be used.

[0024] (B) Hemiacetal ester of carboxylic acid The hemiacetal ester of the carboxylic acid of component (B) can be obtained by reacting the carboxyl group of a given carboxylic acid with the vinyl group of a given vinyl ether according to a conventional method.

[0025] The carboxylic acid constituting the carboxylic acid hemiacetal ester may be 1-4 valent, but is preferably 2-3 valent from the viewpoint of film formation. Furthermore, in the case of a carboxylic acid with 2 or more valent properties, depending on the type of carboxylic acid and vinyl ether, some or all of the carboxyl groups may be hemiacetalized. When the vinyl ether is an alkyl vinyl ether, it is preferable that all carboxyl groups are hemiacetalized. The number of carbon atoms in the carboxylic acid is not particularly limited, but when used in combination with a vinyl ether having one vinyl group, it is preferably 2-40, more preferably 5-25, and even more preferably 5-15 from the viewpoint of handling the resulting carboxylic acid hemiacetal ester. Also, when component (B) is a carboxylic acid polyhemiaacetal ester as described later, a predetermined carboxylic acid should be selected so that its viscosity falls within a predetermined range described later, and the number of carbon atoms in the carboxylic acid is not particularly limited.

[0026] Examples of carboxylic acids that constitute hemiacetal esters of carboxylic acids include aromatic carboxylic acids such as benzoic acid, phthalic acid, isophthalic acid, terephthalic acid, trimellitic acid, and pyromellitic acid; aliphatic carboxylic acids such as malonic acid, glutaric acid, adipic acid, azelaic acid, succinic acid, oxalic acid, octanodioic acid, sebacic acid, mesaconic acid, itaconic acid, and maleic acid; and hydroxycarboxylic acids such as citric acid. In the case of polycarboxylic acids, half-esters obtained by the reaction of alcohol compounds with acid anhydrides can also be used.

[0027] The vinyl ether constituting the hemiacetal ester of a carboxylic acid may have 1 to 6 carbon atoms excluding the carbon atoms of the vinyl group of the vinyl ether. Furthermore, from the viewpoint of film smoothness, the number of vinyl groups contained in a single molecule is preferably 1 to 4, more preferably 1 to 3, and even more preferably 1 to 2.

[0028] Specific examples of vinyl ether compounds that constitute the hemiacetal esters of carboxylic acids include, for example, aliphatic vinyl ether compounds such as methyl vinyl ether, ethyl vinyl ether, i-propyl vinyl ether, n-propyl vinyl ether, n-butyl vinyl ether, i-butyl vinyl ether, t-butyl vinyl ether, and cyclohexyl vinyl ether, as well as trimethylene glycol divinyl ether, ethylene glycol divinyl ether, 1,4-butanediol divinyl ether, pentanediol divinyl ether, hexanediol divinyl ether, 1,4-benzene divinyl ether, and their corresponding divinylthioethers. Among these, n-propyl vinyl ether, i-propyl vinyl ether, n-butyl vinyl ether, and 1,4-butanediol divinyl ether are preferred because they are readily available and their decomposition temperatures are suitable for the protective film process. When the number of carboxyl groups per molecule of the carboxylic acid constituting component (B) is two or more, the vinyl ether compound combined with this carboxylic acid may be the same or different.

[0029] In the case of a carboxylic acid polyhemiacetal ester in component (B), where the hemiacetal ester of component (B) is composed of a polyvalent carboxylic acid and a vinyl ether with two or more vinyl groups as constituent units, the viscosity of component (B) at 25°C should be 50 Pa·s or less, but from the viewpoint of film formation, it is preferable to be 3 to 30 Pa·s. The viscosity can be determined, for example, using an E-type viscometer manufactured by Toki Sangyo Co., Ltd., in accordance with JIS K7117-2.

[0030] Component (B) applicable to embodiments of the present invention may have the above-described configuration, but specific examples include tris(n-propoxyethyl) trimellitic acid ester, tetrakis(i-propoxyethyl) pyromellitic acid ester, bis(n-butoxyethyl) sebacate acid ester, and polyhemiacetal ester of 1,4-butanediol divinyl ether and glutaric acid.

[0031] The content of component (A) and component (B) should be such that the ratio of the mass of component (A) to the mass of component (B) (A / B) is 70.0 / 30.0 to 99.9 / 0.1. From the viewpoint of not impairing the properties of the metal oxide obtained by calcination, a ratio of 80 / 20 or higher is preferable, and a ratio of 90 / 10 or higher is more preferable. Furthermore, the content of component (A) and component (B) in the metal alkoxide-containing composition may be appropriately determined depending on the application, but generally, a total amount of 60 to 100% by mass of both is preferable.

[0032] (C) Chelate-forming compound In embodiments of the present invention, a chelate-forming compound (component (C)) may be included for the purpose of improving the storage stability of the composition, to the extent that the effects of the present invention are not impaired.

[0033] Chelate-forming compounds are compounds capable of chelation and added to improve the stability of metal alkoxides or carboxylic acid hemiacetal esters. They have multiple coordination sites, such as oxygen atoms and nitrogen atoms, within a single molecule. Specific examples include ethylene glycol, propylene glycol, glycerin, acetylacetone, ethanolamine, and ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA). (C) Component may be used alone or in combination of two or more types.

[0034] The content of component (C) is not particularly limited, but from the viewpoint of not impairing the effects of the present invention, it is preferably 60.0 parts by mass or less, more preferably 50.0 parts by mass or less, and even more preferably 30.0 parts by mass or less, based on 100 parts by mass of the total of components (A) and (B).

[0035] The metal alkoxide-containing composition according to the embodiment of the present invention is applicable to various substrates such as glass, ceramics, fibers, metals, and resins, and is suitably used, for example, as a coating agent for forming a metal oxide thin film on the surface of various substrates in fields such as films, optical materials, and paints.

[0036] [Composition for forming metal oxide thin film] The metal oxide thin film forming composition according to the embodiment of the present invention includes the aforementioned metal alkoxide-containing composition. The metal alkoxide-containing composition itself may be used as the metal oxide thin film forming composition, or, if necessary, other components other than the metal alkoxide-containing composition may be included, as long as they do not impair the effects of the present invention. Examples of such other components include the following additives (component (D)) and solvents (component (E)).

[0037] (D) Additives Examples of additives (component (D)) include thickeners, antioxidants, polymerization inhibitors, and leveling agents. These may be used individually or in combination of two or more.

[0038] Examples of thickening agents include polyisobutylene, ethylcellulose, and nitrocellulose.

[0039] Examples of antioxidants include sodium disophosphate, ascorbic acid, and tocopherol.

[0040] Examples of polymerization inhibitors include dibutylhydroxytoluene, benzoquinone, tert-butylhydroquinone, 4-tert-butylpyrocatechol, and 6-tert-butyl-2,4-xylenol.

[0041] Leveling agents are added for the purpose of improving the appearance of the resulting coating film, and can be used without particular restriction, including silicone-based, fluorine-based, and acrylic-based agents. Examples of commercially available leveling agents include Megafac F-410 (DIC Corporation), F-477 (DIC Corporation), F-552 (DIC Corporation), F-553 (DIC Corporation), F-554 (DIC Corporation), F-555 (DIC Corporation), F-556 (DIC Corporation), F-558 (DIC Corporation), F-559 (DIC Corporation), F-561 (DIC Corporation), Novec FC-4430 (Sumitomo 3M Co., Ltd.), FC-4432 (Sumitomo 3M Co., Ltd.), and Surflon S-611 (AGC Seimi Chemical Co., Ltd.). )), S-651 (same), S-386 (same), Futergent 208G (Neos Co., Ltd.), 602A (same), 650A (same), 610FM (same), 710FM (same), FTX-218 (same), BYK-302 (Big Chemie Japan Co., Ltd.), BYK-307 (same), BYK-337 (same), Polyflow KL-400HF (Kyoeisha Chemical Co., Ltd.), KL-700 (same), LE-604 (same), etc. can be used.

[0042] The content of component (D) is not particularly limited, but from the viewpoint of not impairing the effects of the present invention, it is preferably 50.0 parts by mass or less, more preferably 30.0 parts by mass or less, even more preferably 10.0 parts by mass or less, and particularly preferably 5.0 parts by mass or less, based on 100 parts by mass of the total of components (A) and (B).

[0043] (E) Solvent The solvent (component (E)) is not particularly limited and examples include hydrocarbons, aromatics, amines, ethers, ketones, alcohols, esters, amides, and silicones. Among these, hydrocarbons, aromatics, ethers, ketones, esters, and silicones are preferred, and hydrocarbons, aromatics, ethers, and esters are more preferred. Specifically, aromatic solvents such as toluene, xylene, and styrene; carbonate esters such as dimethyl carbonate, diethyl carbonate, and ethylene carbonate; fatty acid esters such as methyl oleate and sucrose fatty acid esters; and hydrocarbon solvents such as hexane, heptane, octane, and liquid paraffin are particularly preferred.

[0044] The solvent may be used alone or in combination of two or more types.

[0045] The content of component (E) is not particularly limited, but from the viewpoint of not impairing the effects of the present invention, it is preferably 0 to 5000 parts by mass, more preferably 0 to 1000 parts by mass, even more preferably 0 to 500 parts by mass, and particularly preferably 0 to 300 parts by mass, relative to 100 parts by mass of the total of components (A) and (B).

[0046] The metal oxide thin film formation composition, like the metal alkoxide-containing composition, can be applied to various substrates and is suitably used as a coating agent for forming metal oxide thin films in various fields.

[0047] [Metal oxide thin film] The metal oxide thin film according to the embodiment of the present invention is formed using the aforementioned metal alkoxide-containing composition or metal oxide thin film forming composition. This metal oxide thin film can be produced by conventional methods such as the sol-gel method. For example, the aforementioned metal alkoxide-containing composition or metal oxide thin film forming composition can be applied to the surface of various substrates using a coating machine such as a coater, dried, and then fired to form a metal oxide thin film. Because the aforementioned metal alkoxide-containing composition or metal oxide thin film forming composition is used, it is possible to form a metal oxide thin film with a greater thickness than conventional methods. For example, it is possible to form a thin film with a thickness of preferably 1.0 to 5.0 μm, more preferably 1.0 to 2.0 μm. Furthermore, despite being thicker than conventional methods, the resulting metal oxide thin film exhibits suppressed crack formation and reduced surface roughness. The surface roughness can be, for example, preferably 0 Å or more and less than 500 Å, more preferably 0 Å or more and less than 200 Å. The thickness and surface roughness of the metal oxide thin film and the confirmation of cracks can be performed, for example, by the methods described later. [Examples]

[0048] The present invention will be described in more detail below with reference to examples and comparative examples. Unless otherwise specified, percentages are based on mass.

[0049] (Formulation examples 1-15) A metal alkoxide-containing composition was obtained by using the compounds shown in Tables 1 and 2 as components (A) and (B), and mixing them in a 300 ml Erlenmeyer flask to achieve the formulations shown in Tables 3 and 4. The viscosity of component (B) in formulation example 9 at 25°C was 3.0 to 5.0 Pa·s.

[0050] (Examples 1-10, Comparative Examples 1-5) Metal alkoxide-containing compositions (which are also compositions for forming metal oxide thin films) from formulation examples 1 to 15 were each coated onto a glass substrate (50 mm × 50 mm × 5 mm) using a micropipette at a rate of 1 ml each, and a coating film was formed using a spin coater at 1000 rpm for 30 seconds. The glass substrate was heated on a hot plate at 120°C for 10 minutes, and then further heated in an electric furnace at 400°C for 30 minutes to obtain a metal oxide thin film coated glass substrate. The thickness of the obtained metal oxide thin film was calculated as the average value of 5 measurements taken using a reflectance spectrophotometer (Otsuka Electronics FE-3000).

[0051] [evaluation] The following items were evaluated for the metal alkoxide-containing composition. (1) Crack The metal oxide thin-film coated glass substrates of Examples 1-10 and Comparative Examples 1-5 were observed at 1000x magnification using a scanning electron microscope (JSM-IT210, JEOL Corporation), and the number of cracks observed within a 1000 μm square area was measured. A crack was defined as a defect with a maximum diameter of 100 μm or more. The results are shown in Tables 3 and 4. ◎:0~1 pieces ○: 2~4 pieces △:5~9 pieces ×: 10 or more

[0052] (2) Surface roughness The metal oxide thin-film coated glass substrates of Examples 1-10 and Comparative Examples 1-5 were measured as arithmetic mean roughness Ra using a stylus-type surface roughness meter (ULVAC, Dektak150) and evaluated according to the following criteria. The results are shown in Tables 3 and 4. ◎: Ra < 200 Å ○: 200 Å ≤ Ra < 500 Å △: 500Å <R≦1000Å ×: 1000 Å <Ra

[0053] [Table 1]

[0054] [Table 2]

[0055] [Table 3]

[0056] [Table 4]

[0057] As shown in Table 3, when the metal alkoxide-containing compositions of Examples 1 to 10 were used as metal oxide thin film forming materials, metal oxide thin films with few cracks and low surface roughness were formed. On the other hand, as shown in Table 4, the following results were obtained for the metal alkoxide-containing compositions of Comparative Examples 1 to 5. The metal alkoxide-containing composition of Comparative Example 1 did not contain component (B) and formed a metal oxide thin film with many cracks. It also had a high surface roughness. The metal alkoxide-containing composition of Comparative Example 2 had a mass ratio (A / B) of component (A) to component (B) outside the predetermined range, resulting in a thin film with few cracks but high surface roughness. The metal alkoxide-containing compositions of Comparative Examples 3 and 4 had a number of carbon atoms other than the vinyl group of the vinyl ether constituting component (B) that exceeded the predetermined range, resulting in thin films with inferior crack numbers and surface roughness. The metal alkoxide-containing composition of Comparative Example 5 had a total number of carbon atoms of component (A) that exceeded the predetermined range, resulting in a thin film with inferior surface roughness. [Industrial applicability]

[0058] The metal alkoxide-containing composition and the metal oxide thin film-forming composition according to the present invention can form metal oxide thin films, such as ceramic thin films, on surfaces such as glass, ceramics, fibers, metals, resins, and films. Taking advantage of the characteristics of metal oxide thin films such as ceramic thin films, they can also be used in optical fields such as refractive index and lasers, as well as in electrical and magnetic fields such as insulation and conductivity.

Claims

1. A metal alkoxide-containing composition comprising the following component (A) and component (B), wherein the mass-based content ratio (A / B) is 70.0 / 30.0 to 99.9 / 0.

1. (A) Metal alkoxides with a total of 1 to 40 carbon atoms, (B) A hemiacetal ester of a carboxylic acid consisting of a 1- to 4-valent carboxylic acid and a vinyl ether, wherein the number of carbon atoms after removing the vinyl group of the vinyl ether is 1 to 6.

2. The composition comprises the metal alkoxide-containing composition described in claim 1 and (E) a solvent, A composition for forming a metal oxide thin film, comprising 0 to 5,000 parts by mass of the solvent (E) with respect to a total of 100 parts by mass of the metal alkoxide-containing composition of components (A) and (B).

3. A metal oxide thin film formed using the metal alkoxide-containing composition according to claim 1 or the metal oxide thin film forming composition according to claim 2.

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