The sol-gel technique (dipping method) was used because it is simple, economic
and does not require complicated equipment. The cobalt chloride salt was used as a
source of cobalt ions. The effect of : deposition time (15, 30, 45 and 60 sec), pH
value (9.5, 10.5, 11.5 and 12.5) and annealing temperature (300, 400, 500 and 600
°C) on the properties of Co3O4 thin film was study by used X-Ray diffraction and
EDS for structural properties, optical microscope (OM), SEM and AFM for
morphological properties, UV-VIS for optical properties, Hall Effect for electrical
properties, Magnetic susceptibility balance for magnetic properties and gas
sensitivity test for measured the sensing properties. X-Ray diffraction result has
confirmed the formation of cubic spinal Co3O4. And the films crystallinity increase
with increase the deposition time and annealing temperatures while pH value have
different effect. The OM and SEM revealed to formation of smooth surface and the
growth increase with the deposition time and annealing temperatures. AFM shows
the pH value have different effect on the grain size of the films. The transmission
was decrease with increase the deposition time (from 15 to 60 sec) and annealing
temperatures (from 300 to 600 °C) due to increase the thickness and the
improvement in films crystallinity respectively. Co3O4 found have high absorption
coefficient more than 105 cm-1. The energy band gap found to be increases with
increase the film thickness from (2 to 2.42 eV) while decrease with increase the
annealing temperatures from (2.5 to 2 eV) because of improvement in films
structure. The Hall effect measurement shows that the Co3O4 all samples are p-type
conductivity and the carrier concentration and films conductivity was increase with
increase the deposition time (from 15 to 60 sec) ( from 1.85 to 3.84 *1017 cm-3) and (
from 1.03 to 1.47 *10-5 Ω-1 cm-1 ) respectively, and annealing temperatures (from 300
to 600 °C) ( from 3.9 to 9.8 *1017 cm-3) and ( from 0.2 to 2 *10-4 Ω-1 cm-1)
respectively, while the pH have different effect. Co3O4 thin film found to be
antiferromagnetic material and their susceptibility increase with increase the pH
value and decrease with increase the annealing temperatures the maximum
observed susceptibility at pH 11.5 equal to 12917*10-6 cm3/mole which higher for
about twice from the standard value. Co3O4 was found to be sensitive NO2 gas and
it's sensitivity improved by increase the deposition time (from 35 to 53 %) and
annealing temperature (from 50 to 73%) and slightly with pH value (from 42 to 53 %).
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