Structural and optical properties of Ag-doped copper oxide thin films on polyethylene napthalate substrate prepared by low temperature microwave annealing
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona 85287, USA and School for Engineering of Matter, Transport and Energy, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona 85287 (United States)
Silver doped cupric oxide thin films are prepared on polyethylene naphthalate (flexible polymer) substrates. Thin films Ag-doped CuO are deposited on the substrate by co-sputtering followed by microwave assisted oxidation of the metal films. The low temperature tolerance of the polymer substrates led to the search for innovative low temperature processing techniques. Cupric oxide is a p-type semiconductor with an indirect band gap and is used as selective absorption layer solar cells. X-ray diffraction identifies the CuO phases. Rutherford backscattering spectrometry measurements confirm the stoichiometry of each copper oxide formed. The surface morphology is determined by atomic force microscopy. The microstructural properties such as crystallite size and the microstrain for (-111) and (111) planes are calculated and discussed. Incorporation of Ag led to the lowering of band gap in CuO. Consequently, it is determined that Ag addition has a strong effect on the structural, morphological, surface, and optical properties of CuO grown on flexible substrates by microwave annealing. Tauc's plot is used to determine the optical band gap of CuO and Ag doped CuO films. The values of the indirect and direct band gap for CuO are found to be 2.02 eV and 3.19 eV, respectively.
- OSTI ID:
- 22163078
- Journal Information:
- Journal of Applied Physics, Vol. 113, Issue 24; Other Information: (c) 2013 AIP Publishing LLC; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0021-8979
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Effect of the cadmium chloride treatment on RF sputtered Cd{sub 0.6}Zn{sub 0.4}Te films for application in multijunction solar cells
Evidence of Room Temperature Ferromagnetism in Zn{sub 1−x}Sn{sub x}S Thin Films
Related Subjects
ABSORPTION
ANNEALING
ATOMIC FORCE MICROSCOPY
COPPER OXIDES
DEPOSITION
DOPED MATERIALS
LAYERS
MICROWAVE RADIATION
OPTICAL PROPERTIES
OXIDATION
POLYETHYLENES
RUTHERFORD BACKSCATTERING SPECTROSCOPY
SEMICONDUCTOR MATERIALS
SILVER ADDITIONS
SOLAR CELLS
SPUTTERING
STOICHIOMETRY
SUBSTRATES
THIN FILMS
X-RAY DIFFRACTION