Effect of Silver on Synthesis and Characterization on Co3O4Thin Films Prepared by Spray Pyrolysis Method

Abstract

The Spray Pyrolysis process deposited nanostructured Cobalt oxide (Co3O4) and Co3O4: Ag thin sheets wads. XRD analysis shows the preferred orientation of the polycrystalline of Co3O4 and Co3O4: Ag films is (311). The grain size changed as the silver concentration increased, going from 15.51 nm to 17.44 nm. As silver (Ag) concentration in Co3O4 films increased, the cluster grain size reduced from 57.46 nm to 45.00 nm, confirmed by surface topography. The overall transmittance was more than 95 % in the visible region for 1% to 3% Silver (Ag) content. The absorption coefficient shows a decrement via the increment of  Silver content in Co3O4 films, even though the energy gap has been significantly reduced from (2.52 to 2.43) eV as silver concentration increases, extinction coefficient and refractive index decreased with the silver.