Study of cobalt oxide films deposited on single-crystal yttria-stabilized zirconia by pulsed-laser ablation

Abstract

One of the most common applications of pulsed-laser ablation (PLA) is the production of oxide films of almost any stoichiometry. In this work, thin films of cobalt oxide were grown onto single-crystal yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) substrates of (100) orientation. Film morphology during the early stages of growth has been studied.Cobalt oxide films grown on suitable substrates have potential applications in electronic and magnetic devices. Like most transition metal oxides, cobalt oxide exists in more than one form, depending on the valence of the cations and their distribution . The transition from CoO to Co3O4 occurs at about 900°C in air, CoO being the high-temperature phase. However, by lowering the partial pressure of oxygen, the CoO stability region shifts down to much lower temperatures.The laser system used for the depositions was a Lambda Physik model 210i with KrF excimer laser (λ=248 nm) operating at an energy of 200 mJ per pulse. A Co3O4 pellet (96% dense) was fabricated as the target material.