Chemical vapor deposited Fe2O3 thin films analyzed by XPS

In the present study, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) was employed to investigate the principal core levels of a Fe2O3 thin film. The sample was deposited on glass in a N2 + O2 atmosphere by chemical vapor deposition (CVD), using Fe(acac)3 (Hacac = 2,4-pentanedione) as the source compound. XPS surface data for the Fe 2p3/2, O1s, and C 1s photoelectrons, obtained by an Al Ka monochromatized excitation source, are reported. Deconvolution of the O 1s signal revealed the presence of -OH groups along with the major component ascribed to lattice oxygen. The relatively high carbon content in the film indicated an incomplete decomposition of the used precursor.