A structural and optical properties of Cu-doped ZnO films prepared by spray pyrolysis

Pure and Cu doped ZnO films were grown by ultrasonic spray pyrolysis onto glass substrates at 450 degrees C for 30 min. This study aims to investigate the influence of Cu doping content [0.02-0.20] on structural, microstructural and optical properties. X-ray diffraction analysis reveals a structural disorder depending on Cu loading besides the appearance of CuO phase. The doping effectiveness is revealed by EDX analysis of the chemical composition of the films. The transmittance shows a decreasing tendency with increasing Cu concentration. The refractive indices increase, whereas the values of forbidden energy gap decrease with the increase in Cu dopant concentration.