Colloidal suspensions of copper oxide (CuO) nanoparticles were prepared by an alcothermal method, in which copper acetate was reacted with sodium hydroxide in the presence of acetic acid in ethanol at 78°C. The prepared suspension was stable for up to 1 month without stabilizers such as surfactants. Transmission electron microscopy analyses revealed that the suspension contained nanosized CuO particles of 5–10 nm size with a narrow size distribution. Nanoparticulate CuO films packed with grains smaller than 60 nm were fabricated on Si substrates by spin coating a suspension of CuO nanoparticles and subsequent heat treatment at 500°C.
Boron carbonitride (BCN) thin films with a thickness of ~4 µm were synthesized on Si (100) substrate by radiofrequency and microwave plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition using trimethylamine borane [(CH 3 ) 3 N.BH 3 )] as a molecular precursor. The microstructures of the films were evaluated using field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) and X-ray diffractometry (XRD). Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) were used to analyze the chemical bonding state and composition of the films. It has been observed that the films were adhered well to the silicon substrate even after being broken mechanically. XRD and FE-SEM results showed that the films were x-ray amorphous, rough surface with inhomogeneous microstructure. The micro hardness was measured by nano-indentation tester and was found to be approximately 2~7 GPa.
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