Tuning the Structural and Optical Properties of SILAR-Deposited Cu2O Films Through Zn Doping

Abstract

Undoped and Zn-doped Cu 2 O films were deposited onto glass substrates using successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction (SILAR) technique with different Zn doping levels (0, 1, 2, 3, 5 and 10 wt%). The structural, optical, and surface morphological studies were carried out and reported. The structural study revealed that the crystalline quality is gradually enhanced up to 5 wt% of Zn doping level, and then quality begins to degrade for further increase in doping level. Moreover, the preferential orientation changes from (111) to (110) for the highest doping level were examined. Optical study shows that the transmittance (65%) and optical band gap values are maximum (2.41 eV) when the Zn doping level is at 5 wt%. The photoluminescence study confirms the presence of various defects in the Cu 2 O matrix and also the variation obtained in the optical band gap from the transmittance data. SEM images revealed the annealinginduced changes in the surface morphology of the films.

Copper oxide nanostructured thin films processed by SILAR for optoelectronic applications

“…The summary of the effect of doping on SILAR-deposited Cu x O films is represented in Table 11. Interestingly, in the case of Cu 2 O film fabrication, the reactants were the same except for the doping materials such as Fe, Eu, Zn, and Co. 127–130 Similarly, during Co, B, Mg, and Pb doping into CuO films, 131–134 the reactants were also the same except in the case of Ni doping. 135…”

“…Interestingly, in the case of and (c) SDS. 117 Cu 2 O lm fabrication, the reactants were the same except for the doping materials such as Fe, Eu, Zn, and Co. [127][128][129][130] Similarly, during Co, B, Mg, and Pb doping into CuO lms, [131][132][133][134] the reactants were also the same except in the case of Ni doping. 135 In the case of Co or Fe doping, the crystallite size of the lms of Cu 2 O decreased between 62.83 and 28.44 nm when the concentration of the doped material increased gradually, whereas it showed an opposite trend in the case of Zn doping.…”