Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Effect of Cu addition on the properties of the RF magnetron-sputtered Cu2O thin films

  • Manuscript
  • Published:
Journal of Electroceramics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Radio frequency (RF) magnetron sputtering was used to fabricate Cu-doped Cu2O thin using a gas mixture containing 80% Ar and 20% N2 at room temperature. The Cu2O ceramics containing different concentrations of Cu powder (1–7 wt%) were considered to be the sputtering targets. A highly dense Cu-doped Cu2O target was essential to obtain excellent quality Cu2O films; this target can be obtained via the hot-pressing process because the low melting point (1084.6 °C) of Cu allows enhanced densification of the Cu2O target through a liquid-phase wetting mechanism. X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) were performed to characterize the Cu2O film microstructure. Our results denoted that Cu doping enhances the densification and increases the grain size of the Cu2O films. Further, the crystal structures of the films changed from CuO and Cu4O3 to Cu2O when the Cu doping concentration increased from 1 to 7 wt%. A dense and well-defined columnar morphology can be observed when TEM was used to observe the film microstructure. Subsequently, the electrical and optical properties of the Cu2O thin films were evaluated at different Cu concentrations. The electrical resistivity of the Cu2O films became 8.6 Ω·cm when the Cu doping concentration was 7 wt%, corresponding to a carrier density of 9.8 × 1016 cm−3 and a mobility of 7.5 cm2/Vs. Furthermore, the optical transmission of the Cu2O films doped with Cu was greater than 60%. The band gaps of the films ranged from 2.32 to 2.54 eV depending on the copper oxide phases present in the films.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Y. Nakano, S. Saeki, T. Morikawa, Appl. Phys. Lett. 94, 022111 (2009)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. W. Zheng, Y. Chen, X. Peng, K. Zhong, Y. Lin, Z. Huang, Materials 11, 1253 (2018)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. D. Ozaslana, O.M. Ozkendir, M. Gunes, Y. Ufuktepea, C. Gumus, Optik 157, 1325 (2018)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. D.K. Negar, K. Reza, K.E. Saeideh, M.P. Saeid, R. Seeram, J.Y .Hu 9, 1011 (2019)

    Google Scholar 

  5. A. Rydosz, Coating 8, 425 (2018)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. A. Da Cas Viegas, Thin Solid Films 562, 144 (2014)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. L. Zhang, Q. Li, H. Xue, H. Pang, ChemSusChem 11, 1581 (2018)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. T. Minami, Y. Nishi, T. Miyata, Y. Nishi, Solar Energy 105, 206 (2014)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Y. Aljlan, F. Placido, H.O. Chu, R.D. Bold, L. Fleming, D. Gibson, Thin Solid Films 642, 45 (2017)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Y.G. Lee, J.R. Wang, M.J. Chuang, D.W. Chen, K.H. Hou, Int. J. Electrochem. Sci. 12, 507 (2017)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. J.B. Liang, N. Kishi, T. Soga, T. Jimbo, M.S. Ahmed, Thin Solid Film 520, 2679 (2012)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. L. Armelao, D. Barreca, M. Bertapelle, G. Bottaro, C. Sada, Thin Solid Films 442, 48 (2003)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. X. Liu, M. Xu, X. Zhang, W. Wang, X. Feng, A. Song, Appl. Surf. Sci. 435, 305 (2018)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. H. Kim, M.Y. Lee, S.H. Kim, S.I. Bae, K.Y. Ko, H. Kim, K.W. Kwon, J.H. Hwang, D.J. Lee, Applied Surface Science 349, 673 (2015)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. H. Zhu, J. Zhang, C. Li, F. Pan, T. Wang, B. Huang, Thin Solid Films 517, 5700 (2009)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. H.C. Lu, C.L. Chu, C.Y. Lai, Y.H. Wang, Thin Solid Films 517, 4408 (2009)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. S. Masudy-Panah, K. Radhakrishnan, A. Kumar, T.I. Wong, R. Yi, G.K. Dalapati, J. of Appl. Phys. 118, 225301 (2015)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. Y. Wang, S. Lany, J. Ghanbaja, Y. Fagot-Revurat, Y.P. Chen, F.S. Oldera, D. Horwat, F. Mucklich, J.F. Pierson, Phys. Rev. B 94, 245418 (2016)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. V.F. Drobny, D.L. Pulfrey, Thin Solid Films 61, 89 (1979)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. S.C. Siah, Y.S. Lee, Y. Segal, T. Buonassisi, J. Appl. Phys. 112, 084508 (2012)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. H.J. Li, C.Y. Pu, C.Y. Ma, S.H. Li, W.J. Dong, S.Y. Bao, Q.Y. Zhang, Thin Solid Films 520, 212 (2011)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. S.H. Lee, S.J. Yun, J.W. Lim, ETRI Journal 35, 1156 (2013)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  23. J.E. Morris, M.I. Ridge, C.A. Bishop, R.P. Howson, J. Appl. Phys. 51, 1847 (1980)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. S. Chaudhuri, J. Bhattacharyya, A.K. Pal, Thin Solid Films 148, 279 (1987)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. W. Zheng, Y. Chen, X. Peng, K. Zhong, Y. Lin, Z. Huang, Materials 11071253, 11 (2018)

    Google Scholar 

  26. L. Debbichi, M.C. Marco de Lucas, J.F. Pierson, P. Krüger, J. Phys. Chem. C 116, 10232 (2012)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  27. M. Ivanda, D. Waasmaier, A. Endriss, J. Ihringer, A. Kirfel, W. Kiefer, J. Raman Spectrosc. 28, 487 (1997)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  28. H.L. Hartnagel, A.L. Dawar, A.K. Jain, C. Jagadish, Semiconducting transparent thin films, (Institute of Physics Publishing, Philadelphia, 1995)

  29. B. Balamurugan, B.R. Mehta, Thin solid films 96, 90 (2001)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  30. A.A. Ogwu, E. Bouquerel, O. Ademosu, S. Moh, E. Crossan, F. Placido, J. Phys. D Appl. Phys. 38, 266 (2005a)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  31. S. Dolai, R. Dey, S. Das, S. Hussain, R. Bhar, A.K. Pal, J. Alloy. Comp. 724, 456 (2017)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  32. J.F. Pierson, A. Thobor-Keck, A. Billard, Appl. Surf. Sci. 210, 359 (2003)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  33. P.E.D. Morgan, D.E. Partin, B.L. Chamberland, M.O. Keeffe, J. Solid State Chem. 37, 33 (1996)

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

The authors are grateful to Ministry of Science and Technology of Taiwan for the financial support to this work under contract no. MOST-105-2221-E-214-032.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Materials Science and Engineering, I-Shou University, Kaohsiung City, Taiwan, Republic of China

    Boen Houng, Jhih Kai Wu, Peng Chieh Yeh & Wei Lin Yeh

  2. ThinTech Materials Technology Corporation, Kaohsiung City, Taiwan, Republic of China

    Chen Kai Sun

Authors
  1. Boen Houng
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Jhih Kai Wu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Peng Chieh Yeh
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Wei Lin Yeh
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Chen Kai Sun
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Boen Houng.

Additional information

Publisher’s note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Houng, B., Wu, J.K., Yeh, P.C. et al. Effect of Cu addition on the properties of the RF magnetron-sputtered Cu2O thin films. J Electroceram 45, 129–134 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10832-021-00234-x

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10832-021-00234-x

Keywords

Search

Navigation