Chromium oxides thin films prepared and coated in situ with gold by pulsed laser deposition

In order to prevent the reduction of CrO2 to Cr2O3 in thin films preserved in ambient conditions some of the samples were capped with gold in situ using the same set-up. The composition and morphology of the deposited films were characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and Raman spectroscopy. A higher and stable content of CrO2 in the deposited films was evidenced in the case of samples capped with Au. Subsequent analysis performed after 4 months showed no difference in the content of the film.