In this study, Cu-Cr-O films were prepared using reactive magnetron sputtering deposition on quartz substrates, and then annealed under controlled argon atmosphere at temperature of 500~625 ℃ for 3 minutes. The effects of phase transformation on optoelectronic properties of Cu-Cr-O films were identified.The as-deposited Cu-Cr-O film was amorphous. After annealed at temperature of 500~575 ℃, the films underwent phase transformation and turned into a composite structure of CuO and CuCr2O4. The film annealed at 600 ℃, the CuCrO2 was a main phase and CuO became a very minor phase. After annealed at 625 ℃, the film turned into a single-phase CuCrO2 structure.The as-deposited film had a smooth surface. Annealing treatment temperature of 500~575 ℃ made the films surface morphology with round-like microstructure. As the annealing temperature increased, the round-like microstructure grew. When annealing temperature higher than 600 ℃, the CuCrO2 films had bar-like microstructure on its surface. The root mean square (RMS) roughness values of CuCrO2 film annealed at 600 and 625 ℃ were 16.2 and 17.7 nm, respectively.The CuCrO2 films showed relatively high transmittance about 60 % at visible wavelength of 550 nm. For the CuCrO2 films annealed at 600 and 625 ℃, the direct energy band gaps were 3.08 and 3.12 eV, the resistivity values of 8.23 and 4.31 Ωcm, the carrier concentrations of 6.05×1017 and 4.17×1018 cm-3, and the carrier mobilities of 1.22 and 0.33 cm2/V-s, respectively. The CuCrO2 films had positive Hall coefficients, indicated that the CuCrO2 films were p-type semiconductors with its main electricity carriers as holes.
