Application of Small Size Solar Furnace onto Preparation of Copper Oxide Thin Films by Sol-Gel Route

Abstract:

In this manuscript, we will describe the preparation of copper oxide thin films by sol-gel route using solar furnace with area of about 1.5 m² as a rapid thermal annealing apparatus. The gel films prepared by spin-coating of Cu acetate solution transferred to CuO or Cu₂O films after thermal annealing for 1 min employing solar furnace consists of Fresnel lens. The result reveals that the solar furnace can provide enough energy to cause the high temperature reaction of sol-gel route copper oxide synthesis. In addition, the result displays that the solar furnace is preferable apparatus to carry out a kind of high temperature rapid annealing. The oxidization reaction of the gel films significantly depends on the structure of the gel films before annealing. In the case of the gel film which contains little CuO, the film becomes mixture of CuO and Cu₂O after the annealing by solar furnace. In contrast, the gel film with CuO structure transferred to pure Cu₂O film after the annealing.

• Periodical: Key Engineering Materials (Volume 703)
• Pages: 209-213
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.4028/www.scientific.net/KEM.703.209
• Online since: August 2016
• Authors: Takashi Ehara*, Taichi Sasaki, Hiroo Motomiya
• Keywords: Cu₂O, CuO, Solar Furnace, Sol-Gel, Thin Films

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