Characterization of reactively sputter deposited CuCrO2 thin films using Cu and Cr targets

In this research, single phase delafossite CuCrO₂ thin films were successfully synthesized using dual sputtering technique. A DC source was employed for the copper target, whereas the chromium target was sputtered using an RF source with oxygen acting as the reactive gas. The films were sputtered on a quartz substrate at 400 °C. The sputtering power for chromium was maintained at 100 W, while the power for copper ranged from 10 W to 40 W. Following deposition, the films were annealed in a nitrogen environment for 10 hours at 800 °C. XRD examination confirmed that single-phase CuCrO₂ was achieved with a copper target power of 20 W. The findings of the XRD investigation were further validated by XPS analysis. Cu : Cr at% composition ratio of 1 : 1 : 04 was obtained when deposited at a power of 20 W. SEM grain sizes ranged from 100 nm to 150 nm optical studies indicated an optical transmission of 57.5% and a bandgap of 3.08 eV. The single-phase film demonstrated a resistivity of 28.6 Ω cm.