Sol-gel and CVD Co3O4 thin films characterized by XPS

The present investigation is focused on x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and x-ray excitedAuger electron spectroscopy (XE-AES) analysis of the main core levels (O 1s, Co 2p, and Co LVV)of nanocrystalline Co3O4 coatings. The samples were obtained by CVD and sol-gel routes.Co(dpm)2 (Hdpm = 2,2-6,6-tetramethyl-3,5-heptanedione) was chosen as CVD precursor thanks toits appreciable volatility, the absence of direct Co-C bonds and the presence of thermally labileCo-O moieties. The preparation of the sol-gel films was accomplished starting from methanolicsolutions of Co(OCOCH3)2.4H2O due to the clean conversion of cobalt acetate into cobalt oxides.The obtained Co3O4 films were bluish-brown, homogenous, crack-free, and adhered well to thesubstrates. The microstructural analyses revealed the formation of single-phase nanostructuredlayers with average crystallite dimensions ranging between 15 and 26 nm.