EFFECT OF SINTERING TEMPERATURE ON THE PHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF THIN Ag2Cu2O3 FILMS PREPARED BY PULSED LASER DEPOSITION

Ag2Cu2O3 powders were formed by solid state reaction at different sintering temperature (200 degrees C, 300 degrees C and 600 degrees C). The influence of sintering and annealing temperatures on the structural, surface morphology, optical and electrical properties of the deposited films was studied. The Ag-Cu-O powder which formed at 200 degrees C had a good structure where tetragonal Ag2Cu2O3 phase appear as a fundamental phase, while the other showed mixed Ag2Cu2O3 and Ag(2)Cu(2)O(4)phases and many binary phases. The heat treatment at 200 degrees C for films improve the structure. AFM micrographs of Ag-Cu-O films revealed that the big grain size of 125nm with irregular shape obtained at sintering temperature equal to 200 degrees C, while the shape become regular with small grain size at 300 and 600 degrees C. The optical band gap decrease from 1.77eV to 1.45eV when sintering temperature increase to 300 degrees Cand reach to 1.90eV at 600 degrees C. Heat treatment decrease the energy band. The electrical conductivity decrease with increment of the sintering temperature for as deposited and annealed films.