Infrared Spectroscopic Study of LiCoO2 Thin Films

Site disorder of Co³⁺ ions in sputtered films of lithium cobaltite has been examined using infrared spectroscopy. Both transmission and reflectance modes have been used to characterize the nature of IR absorption. It is found that Co³⁺ in the sputtered films occupy two types of octahedral sites that differ in the nature of second-neighbor environment. Li⁺ ions exhibit two bands, which may arise from tetrahedral and octahedral site occupancies or from the presence of disordered regions in the films.