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Structural, surface morphological, and optical properties of nanocrystalline Cu 2 O and CuO films formed by RF magnetron sputtering: Oxygen partial pressure effect
Author(s) -
Hari Prasad Reddy M.,
Pierson J. F.,
Uthanna S.
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
physica status solidi (a)
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.532
H-Index - 104
eISSN - 1862-6319
pISSN - 1862-6300
DOI - 10.1002/pssa.201127627
Subject(s) - partial pressure , analytical chemistry (journal) , oxygen , nanocrystalline material , copper , sputter deposition , materials science , copper oxide , phase (matter) , sputtering , electrical resistivity and conductivity , oxide , thin film , chemistry , metallurgy , nanotechnology , organic chemistry , engineering , chromatography , electrical engineering
Copper oxide films were deposited on glass and silicon substrates held at 473 K by radio‐frequency (RF) magnetron sputtering of copper target under different oxygen partial pressure in the range 5 × 10 −3 –8 × 10 −2 Pa. The influence of oxygen partial pressure on the compositional, chemical binding configuration, structural, morphological, electrical, and optical properties of the deposited films was investigated. The films grown at low oxygen partial pressures < 2 × 10 −2 Pa, showed mixed phase of Cu 2 O and Cu. At an oxygen partial pressure of 2 × 10 −2 Pa the grown films were single‐phase Cu 2 O. The films formed at oxygen partial pressure of 2 × 10 −2 Pa showed a core level binding energy peak of Cu 2p 3/2 at 932.3 eV, confirmed the growth of Cu + state of copper in Cu 2 O. The films formed at higher oxygen partial pressure of 5 × 10 −2 Pa, films showed mixed phase of Cu 2 O and CuO. While those formed at 8 × 10 −2 Pa were of CuO. Atomic force micrographs showed that the grain size of the films was increased from 40 to 110 nm with increase of oxygen partial pressure from 8 × 10 −3 to 2 × 10 −2 Pa. Single‐phase Cu 2 O films grown at oxygen partial pressure of 2 × 10 −2 Pa showed electrical resistivity of 10 Ω cm and optical bandgap of 2.36 eV. The CuO films formed at higher oxygen partial pressure of 8 × 10 −2 Pa exhibited an electrical resistivity of 3 × 10 2 Ω cm and optical bandgap of 1.96 eV.