Preparation of Pb2CrO5 thin films by an electron-beam evaporation technique

Pb₂CrO₅ thin films have been prepared by an electron-beam evaporation deposition technique on glass substrates using ceramic disks. The thin film fabrication conditions are studied by x-ray diffraction, replica electron micrography and scanning electron microscopy as parameters of substrate temperature, annealing temperature and annealing time. As-deposited Pb₂CrO₅ thin films in the amorphous state are crystallized by heat treatment. Annealed thin films are structurally classified into three types according to the preferred orientations which depend on substrate temperatures (T _s:

1. (i)

   (020) atT _s=room temperature

2. (ii)

   mainly (310) atT _s=100 ‡C, and

3. (iii)

   (200) atT _s=350 ‡C.

The substrate temperature contributes to film orientations; annealing temperature and time-enhance film crystallinity. The annealing temperature is fixed between 400 and 500 ‡C in making appropriate Pb₂CrO₅ thin films. These thin films, ranging between 0.3 and 2.0 Μm in thickness, are prepared at a deposition rate of 1500 å/m.