Synthesis of CuO films using mass-separated, low-energy O+ ion beams

Abstract
For the first time, CuO thin films have been synthesized by means of low‐energy and high‐density O+‐ion beams, mass separated from an oxygen plasma. A 50‐eV, 47‐μA/cm2 O+‐ion beam has successfully produced CuO at a growth rate of 0.04 Å/s by simultaneous deposition of Cu metal on MgO(100). O+ beams have greater potential for oxidation than O2 gas from the viewpoint of the flux necessary to form CuO.