Investigations of Cuprous Oxide and Cupric Oxide Thin Films by Controlling the Deposition Atmosphere in the Reactive Sputtering Method

Abstract

Cu 2 O is a direct and narrow band-gap material; hence, it serves as an important candidate material for applications such as solar cells. In this study, copper (Cu) metal was used as a target and the reactive sputtering method was used to deposit cuprous oxide (Cu 2 O) and cupric oxide (CuO) thin films on indium tin oxide (ITO) glass. The formation of Cu 2 O and CuO thin films was controlled by varying oxidation conditions, such as controlling the deposition atmosphere (called the O 2 ratio). The microstructure, crystalline orientation, and optical properties of Cu 2 O and CuO thin films were measured using X-ray diffraction and optical spectroscopy, respectively. The results for the deposited thin films indicated that the formation of thin films as Cu 2 O and CuO phases was controlled by the flow rate of oxygen during the deposition process. In addition, the (αhv) n -hν curve plot was used to find the optical energy band gap of the Cu 2 O and CuO thin films. Moreover, we found that the crystalline phase and morphology of the deposited thin films affected the properties of the spectral response. This study provides a reference for the possible exploration and application of new, high-performance thin-film photovoltaic solar cells.

Effect of dopant loading and calcination conditions on structural and optical properties of ZrO2 nanopowders doped with copper and yttrium

“…Thus, one can assume that in our powders, Cu dopants present rather as surface complexes Cu x O and Cu-OH than CuO. This conclusion is in agreement with results reported in [30,[39][40][41] as well as with EPR data and UV-vis absorption spectra.…”

“…Since no signal from crystalline CuO was detected, one can assume that no deformation of CuO chains occurs. Based on the similarity of the spectra presented in [38][39][40][41] with those from present study, the Cu-related absorption band can be escribed rather to Cu 2 O or Cu x O than CuO species.…”