Characterization of the Structural and Optical Properties of Copper Oxide for Use in Solar Cells Using Screen Printing Method

Abstract

Structural and optical properties of copper oxide for solar cells applications was studied using screen printing techniques. Annealing procedure was employed in order to test the temperature effect. Samples were annealed at 150 oC and 200 oC for 30 minutes, the last sample was allowed to dry at room temperature. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), UV-visible spectroscopy, and Fourier transforms infrared spectroscopy were used to describe the materials (FTIR). The results demonstrate that the annealing temperature had a substantial impact on the sample's structural properties. SEM analysis shows that the 150 oC annealed CuO sample have good morphology, no brittleness or cracking, and no gaps between crystal grains. The UV-visible spectrometer machine type Cary 50bio (0906m12) was used to analyze the absorption and percentage transmittance of the samples at room temperature, dry CuO sample and sample annealed at 150 oC have the strongest absorption in the visible band. The entire samples have a good transmittance for solar applications according to FTIR results. CuO sample annealed at 150 oC has a band gap 1.29eV which makes it good material for solar applications.