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SEM and AFM studies of dip‐coated CuO nanofilms
Author(s) -
Dhanasekaran V.,
Mahalingam T.,
Ganesan V.
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
microscopy research and technique
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.536
H-Index - 118
eISSN - 1097-0029
pISSN - 1059-910X
DOI - 10.1002/jemt.22136
Subject(s) - materials science , copper , crystallite , scanning electron microscope , analytical chemistry (journal) , monoclinic crystal system , surface roughness , thin film , copper oxide , profilometer , mineralogy , crystallography , composite material , nanotechnology , chemistry , crystal structure , metallurgy , chromatography
Cupric oxide (CuO) semiconducting thin films were prepared at various copper sulfate concentrations by dip coating. The copper sulfate concentration was varied to yield films of thicknesses in the range of 445–685 nm by surface profilometer. X‐ray diffraction patterns revealed that the deposited films were polycrystalline in nature with monoclinic structure of (−111) plane. The surface morphology and topography of monoclinic‐phase CuO thin films were examined using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM), respectively. Surface roughness profile was plotted using WSxM software and the estimated surface roughness was about ∼19.4 nm at 30 m M molar concentration. The nanosheets shaped grains were observed by SEM and AFM studies. The stoichiometric compound formation was observed at 30 m M copper sulfate concentration prepared film by EDX. The indirect band gap energy of CuO films was increased from 1.08 to 1.20 eV with the increase of copper sulfate concentrations. Microsc. Res. Tech., 2013. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.