Abstract
Copper oxides (CuO, Cu2O) have promising application potential in sensors or solar cells. In this study, copper oxide thin films were prepared by reactive DC magnetron sputtering using helicon plasma. A pure copper target was sputtered with Ar gas in an O2 atmosphere with a DC sputtering power in the range of 10–40 W, while the other fabrication conditions were kept constant. X-ray diffraction and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy were used to investigate the effect of the sputtering power on the structure and the chemical state of the fabricated films. Atomic force microscopy was used to determine the relationship between the film's surface morphology and its structure. Hall effect measurements were employed to measure the semiconductor's properties, and the optical bandgap was determined by UV-Vis spectroscopy. The copper oxide film could be continuously tuned from n-type CuO to p-type Cu2O by changing the DC magnetron sputtering power.
Highlights
INTRODUCTIONCopper oxides (CuO, Cu2O) are semiconductor materials that are widely used in many applications, such as oxygen and humidity sensors, electrochromic devices, and as an absorber layer in heterojunction thin-film solar cells. The popularity of the material is attributed to its favorable characteristics and, in particular, to its high optical absorption combined with its nontoxicity and low cost. Many studies have shown that copper oxide is suitable for use as an absorber in solar energy conversion applications because of its suitable bandgap. Copper oxides can be both p-type and n-type semiconductors, with a direct bandgap of 2.1–2.6 eV measured for Cu2O5 and a bandgap of 1.3–2.3 eV reported for CuO. The properties of the deposited thin films depend on the fabrication method; currently, copper oxide thin films have been prepared using a variety of deposition methods, such as thermal evaporation, activated reactive evaporation, molecular beam epitaxial growth, solution growth, the sol-gel process, electrodeposition, RF magnetron sputtering, and DC magnetron sputtering. despite the numerous fabrication methods, the fabrication of copper oxide thin films with a single Cu2O or CuO phase is still a challenge
Copper oxide thin films were prepared by reactive DC magnetron sputtering using helicon plasma
This study investigated the fabrication of copper oxide thin films in both Cu2O and CuO phases by reactive DC magnetron sputtering with helicon plasma
Summary
Copper oxides (CuO, Cu2O) are semiconductor materials that are widely used in many applications, such as oxygen and humidity sensors, electrochromic devices, and as an absorber layer in heterojunction thin-film solar cells. The popularity of the material is attributed to its favorable characteristics and, in particular, to its high optical absorption combined with its nontoxicity and low cost. Many studies have shown that copper oxide is suitable for use as an absorber in solar energy conversion applications because of its suitable bandgap. Copper oxides can be both p-type and n-type semiconductors, with a direct bandgap of 2.1–2.6 eV measured for Cu2O5 and a bandgap of 1.3–2.3 eV reported for CuO. The properties of the deposited thin films depend on the fabrication method; currently, copper oxide thin films have been prepared using a variety of deposition methods, such as thermal evaporation, activated reactive evaporation, molecular beam epitaxial growth, solution growth, the sol-gel process, electrodeposition, RF magnetron sputtering, and DC magnetron sputtering. despite the numerous fabrication methods, the fabrication of copper oxide thin films with a single Cu2O or CuO phase is still a challenge.. This study investigated the fabrication of copper oxide thin films in both Cu2O and CuO phases by reactive DC magnetron sputtering with helicon plasma. Because the helicon wave provides electromagnetic power to the plasma in addition to the magnetron power, the discharge plasma can be maintained at a low gas pressure. This can endow the fabricated thin films with attractive attributes, such as appropriate control of the crystalline structure, and. Avs.scitation.org/journal/jvb the ability to avoid substrate heating during the deposition process With this method, the physical characteristics of the fabricated films are significantly affected by the fabrication parameters, such as the O2 gas and Ar gas flow rate, the substrate temperature, and the sputtering power.. The influence of the DC sputtering power on the structure, electrical, and optical properties of the deposited copper oxide thin films was investigated
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