TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - INORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Method: The inorganic thin film is deposited on the substrate by atomic layer deposition. In the method, where at least some of the acetamide groups are recurring and form at least part of the hydrophilic polymer backbone through the nitrogen atom. In the method, the step A is depositing a uniform layer or pattern of the composition. The inorganic thin film is deposited using spatially dependant atomic layer deposition comprising: providing a series of gas channels, each in contact with a discrete separate region of a substrate, and each gas channel having a gas composition, where the gas composition comprises, in order, at least a first reactive gaseous material, an inert purge gas, and a second reactive gaseous material, and optionally repeating this sequence; and moving the substrate relative to the gas channels so that a portion of the substrate comes into contact sequentially with at least two gas zones, where the first reactive gaseous material is capable of reacting with a substrate surface that has been treated with the second reactive gaseous material to form the inorganic thin film. In the method, a given area of the substrate is exposed to a gas composition in an elongated opening for less than 100 milliseconds. Preferred Components: The inorganic thin film is either a metal or a metal containing compound, preferably: zinc oxide; zinc, aluminum, hafnium, zirconium and/or indium; and copper, tungsten, aluminum, nickel, ruthenium, or rhodium. The metal-containing compound contains a group V or VI anion, or it is an oxide, nitride, sulfide, and/or phosphide. The second reactive gaseous material is a non-metallic compound. The substrate or a support for the substrate comprises a moving web.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - INSTRUMENTATION AND TESTING - Preferred Components: The deposition inhibitor material is deposited by inkjet printing, gravure, flexography, donor transfer, micro-contact printing or offset lithography.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - POLYMERS - Preferred Components: In the method, where at least some of the acetamide groups are on side chains of the hydrophilic polymer having a structure of formula (-N(R)-C(=O)-R1a). The hydrophilic polymer is poly(vinyl pyrrolidone), poly(N-vinyl acetamide), and/or poly(2-ethyl-2-oxazoline). The hydrophilic polymer satisfies both of the following tests: (a) it is soluble to at least 1 wt.% in a solution containing at least 50 wt.% water as measured at 40 degrees C; and (b) it provides an inhibition power of at least 200 Angstrom to deposition of zinc oxide by an atomic layer deposition process.R = H, alkyl, cycloalkyl or aryl; andR1a = alkyl, cycloalkyl or aryl. EXAMPLE - None given.