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Cupric Oxide Thin Films for Photovoltaic Applications

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 August 2013

Patrick J. M. Isherwood ,
Biancamaria Maniscalco ,
Fabiana Lisco ,
Piotr M. Kaminski ,
Jake W. Bowers  and
John M. Walls
Patrick J. M. Isherwood*
Affiliation:
CREST, School of Electrical, Electronic and Systems Engineering, Loughborough University, Loughborough, Leicestershire, LE11 3TU UK
Biancamaria Maniscalco
Affiliation:
CREST, School of Electrical, Electronic and Systems Engineering, Loughborough University, Loughborough, Leicestershire, LE11 3TU UK
Fabiana Lisco
Affiliation:
CREST, School of Electrical, Electronic and Systems Engineering, Loughborough University, Loughborough, Leicestershire, LE11 3TU UK
Piotr M. Kaminski
Affiliation:
CREST, School of Electrical, Electronic and Systems Engineering, Loughborough University, Loughborough, Leicestershire, LE11 3TU UK
Jake W. Bowers
Affiliation:
CREST, School of Electrical, Electronic and Systems Engineering, Loughborough University, Loughborough, Leicestershire, LE11 3TU UK
John M. Walls
Affiliation:
CREST, School of Electrical, Electronic and Systems Engineering, Loughborough University, Loughborough, Leicestershire, LE11 3TU UK
*
*Email: P.J.M Isherwood@lboro.ac.uk
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Abstract

Cupric oxide thin films were sputtered onto soda-lime glass slides from a single pre-formed ceramic target using a radio-frequency power supply. The effects of oxygen partial pressure and substrate temperature on the optical, electrical and structural properties of the films were studied. It was found that increasing temperature resulted in increased crystallinity and crystal size but also increased film resistivity. The most conductive films were those deposited at room temperature. Increasing oxygen partial pressure was found to reduce resistivity dramatically. This is thought to be due to higher charge carrier concentrations resulting from increased copper vacancies. Increasing oxygen partial pressure causes an increase in the optical band gap from a minimum of 0.8eV up to a maximum of 1.42eV. Oxygen-rich films display reduced crystallinity, becoming increasingly amorphous with increased oxygen content. These results show that the optical, electrical and structural properties of sputtered cupric oxide films can be controlled by alteration of the deposition environment.

Keywords

transparent conductordefectssputtering
Type
Articles
Information
MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) , Volume 1538: Symposium C – Compound Semiconductors: Thin-Film Photovoltaics, LEDs and Smart Energy Controls , 2013 , pp. 185 - 190
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2013 

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References

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