Coating of LaCoO3 thin film with sol-gel dip coating method

LaCoO3 thin film was coated on Al2O3 single crystal by sol-gel route. Appropriate composition of precursors, chelating agents and the solvent put together into a flask and magnetically stirred on a magnetic stirrer. After having the red transparent solution, it was stirred for 12 hours before coating. Ultrasonically cleaned substrate is dipped into the solution and taken immediately into vertical furnace which is preheated at 550 degrees C. A dense amorphous film is coated on the substrate. Fired amorphous films are annealed at temperature between 900 degrees C and 1000 degrees C for 20 minutes in the air. Then coated film was characterized by means of XRD, AFM, and SEM. Conductivity of the film was measured to be -0.1819 for 881 degrees C for the log sigma value by assuming the thickness as 1 mu m.