RADIO-FREQUENCY SPUTTERED COBALT OXIDE COATING - STRUCTURAL, OPTICAL, AND ELECTROCHEMICAL CHARACTERIZATION

Cobalt oxide thin films (thickness 2000 angstrom) with different stoichiometries were deposited by reactive rf sputtering. The variation of the oxygen partial pressure lead to films with compositions varying from metallic cobalt to CO3O4, as determined by x-ray diffraction and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The electrochromic properties of the films were investigated in aqueous electrolytes (0.1 M KOH). The initial electrochemical behavior of the films is strongly dependent on the film deposition conditions, but after cycling the electrochemical/electrochromic characteristics of the different deposits were quite similar. Transmittance changes and electrochromic efficiency are discussed.