Chromia-Alumina Thin Films from Alkoxide Precursors : From Precursor Synthesis to Deposition and Characterisation

Abstract: A hetero-bimetallic alkoxide CrAl3(OiPr)12 was synthesised through metathesis of achromium(III)chloride THF complex (CrCl3 . 3 THF) and 3 KAl(OiPr)4.It was used as a single sourceprecursor to make oxide powders and films with 1:3 chromium/aluminium compositionthrough sol-gel synthesis. The final materials obtained and heat-treated samples of these wasstudied with thermogravimetric analysis (TG), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and IR spectroscopy. Itwas found that the as synthesised material was amorphous and elementally homogeneousand could be described as hydrated (oxo)-hydroxide with some loosely bonded carbonate,but no organics remaining. Above 600 oC crystallisation starts and eventually splits into twocorundum structured phases starting around 800 oC. At 1400  oC, the phases had joined backtogether in accordance with the Cr-Al-O phase diagram. Scanning Transmission ElectronMicroscopy with Electron Dispersive X-ray (STEM-EDX) tomography showed that the powderswere homogenous up to 800 oC, while after heating to 1000 oC showed chromiumenrichment in some crystals. Gracing Incidence X-ray diffraction (GI-XRD) on spin-coated filmsshowed that epitaxial growth might be achieved based on -Al2O3 (0001) substrate. The results show that the synthesis of the precursor and subsequent oxides was successful andyielded highly homogeneous gels that could be converted into oxide at ca. 600 oC andsubsequently be phase separated through spinodal decomposition at 1000 oC. The next stepwould be to try the precursor in the industrially used chemical vapour deposition (CVD)method.