Structure of Germanium Monoxide Thin Films

By optical methods (Raman spectroscopy, infrared spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy) and electron-microscopy techniques, it was found that the atomic structure of germanium monoxide films of stoichiometric composition corresponds to the random bonding model and does not contain germanium nanoclusters. This structure is metastable and transforms into a random mixture structure at a temperature of 260°C and higher. The metastability of solid GeO can be caused by internal strains in the atomic network.