A sol-gel approach to nanophasic copper oxide thin film

Nanostructured copper oxide films were prepared via sol-gel starting from ethanolic solutions of copper (II) acetate wCu(CH3COO)2ØH2Ox.Filmswereobtainedbydip-coatingatroomtemperatureinairandweresubsequentlyheat-treatedat differenttemperatures(100-9008C)inoxidizing(air),inert(N2)orreducing(4%H2inN2)atmospheres.Theevolutionofthe oxide coatings under thermal treatment was studied by glancing incidence X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy andX-rayexcitedAugerelectronspectroscopy.Differentcrystallinephaseswereobservedasafunctionoftheannealing conditions.Dependingonbothtemperatureandatmosphere,thefilmcompositionresultedsingle-ormulti-phasic.Allthelayers werenanostructuredwithanaveragecrystallitesizelowerthan20nm.Themostrelevantresultsconcerningsamplecomposition and microstructure as well as their mutual relations with the synthesis conditions are presented and discussed.