Studies on DC sputtered cuprous oxide thin films for solar cell absorber layers

Cuprous oxide (Cu2O) thin films are prepared on corning glass substrates by metallic sputtering of copper under an oxygen atmosphere. The flow rate of oxygen is varied from 4 SCCM to 7 SCCM and the properties of asdeposited films are reported in this work. The structural, phase confirmation, morphology, elemental composition, bonding, and optical characteristics of Cu2O thin films is studied using various characterization tools such as X-ray Diffraction (XRD), Raman Spectroscopy, Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Energy Dispersive X-Ray Analysis (EDAX), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) and UV-Visible Spectrometer. It is perceived that the flow rate plays a vital role in obtaining the single-phase Cu2O thin films. The bandgap of the deposited thin films is measured and is in the range of 2.29-2.37 eV, making it suitable for thin-film solar cell applications.

Automated summary

Oxygen flow rate significantly influences the properties and bandgap of cuprous oxide thin films during the preparation process. Various characterization tools were used to study the structure, morphology, elemental composition, and optical characteristics of the films. The bandgap of the deposited thin films falls within the range suitable for thin-film solar cell applications.