Synthesis of pure Cu2O thin layers controlled by in-situ conductivity measurements

An easy synthesis route for cuprous oxide (Cu2O) nanoparticles is reported via thermal annealing improved and controlled by in-situ conductivity measurements. The crystalline structure, phase transition, surface morphology and particle size/shape, were investigated through X-ray diffraction, a conductivity setup and scanning electron microscopy, respectively. X-ray diffraction patterns revealed that initial metallic Cu nanoparticles were transformed to Cu2O nanoparticles with high purity, under specific conditions critically dependent on the temperature and annealing duration. This transformation was also dependent on the film thickness and atmospheric composition in the test chamber during the annealing process.