TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - INORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Method: The intermediate product is: processed from aqueous liquid phase; processed to give a high refractive index coating; and capable of polymerizing to form a crosslinked polymer having a molecular weight in excess of 5000-250000 g/mol. In the method: the layer is annealed at 80-350 degrees C or at a temperature in excess of 500 degrees C to produce a metal oxide film that contains at least some residues of the organic compound; the intermediate product is processed at a 150 degrees C to give a film having a refractive index of greater than or equal to 1.9, and at 350 degrees C to give refractive index of greater than or equal to 2; the thin film forms a high refractive index film on top of a grating structure or it acts as a protective layer on top of the grating structure; and the film is deposited on the substrate by spin-on deposition. The organic compound contains radiation sensitive carbon double bonds to allow for polymerization of the intermediate product by photo-crosslinking. The method comprises forming: a film on the substrate comprising glass, plastics, paper, ceramics or laminates; an optical or electrical film coating on a substrate; a high dielectric constant film; an anti-reflection coating; a chemical and dry etching stop layer in lithographic processing; a protective coating in an organic light emitting device; an efficiency-enhancing layer in a solar cell; a high index material in an optical thin film filter; an optical diffractive grating and hybrid thin film diffractive grating by embossing, holography lithography and nano-imprinting of the thin film; or a high refractive index abrasion resistant coating. Preferred Definitions:    M1 = titanium; and    X1 = chloride.    EXAMPLE - 0.04218 mol Of tantalum(V) chloride ()placed in a round bottom flask and 151.1 ml of methanol was added. The obtained clear reaction solution was then stirred at room temperature for 2 hours. Then solvent exchange from methanol to 2-isopropoxyethanol (5 times) was carried out using rotary evaporator, where the bath temperature was 40 degrees C. The resultant clear reaction solution was then stirred at room temperature for few minutes, and the solution was neutralized using 0.14646 mol triethylamine. The white suspension was stirred at room temperature for 2 hours and filtered using pressure filter. The obtained slightly cloudy solution was filtrated again using syringe and filter. The resulting clear solution was placed in freezer for overnight. Then the suspension was filtered again using a syringe filter. The solvent was removed by rotary evaporator that was operated at a temperature of 40 degrees C and pressure of 1 mbar for 10 minutes. Then 240 wt.% of methanol:1-butanol solution (1:1) was added to the obtained solution of tantalum oxide hybrid polymer. The obtained solution of tantalum oxide hybrid polymer was then deposited on positive type silicon substrates by applying the spin-on processing method. The obtained film was then cured to obtain the crosslinked metal oxide film on the substrate.