Structural, morphological, electrical, and optical properties of silver thin films of varying thickness deposited on cupric oxide

Abstract

In this investigation, silver (Ag) films of varying thickness (25–100 nm) were grown on cupric oxide (CuO) on silicon and quartz. The CuO preparation was carried out by the thermal oxidation annealing of copper (Cu) thin films deposited by DC magnetron sputtering. The physical properties of the prepared films were studied by different techniques. Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy (RBS) analysis indicated that the Ag film thickness was about 25–100 nm. X-ray diffraction (XRD) results showed that by increasing Ag thickness, the film crystallinity was improved. Also, atomic force microscopy (AFM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) results demonstrated that the surface morphology and the grain size were affected by the Ag film thickness. Furthermore, the electrical resistivity of films determined by four-point probe measurements versus the Ag film thickness was discussed. A reduction in the optical band gap energy of CuO is observed from 1.51 to 1.42 eV with an increase in Ag film thickness to 40 nm in Ag/CuO films.