Pulsed laser deposition of single phase n- and p-type Cu2O thin films with low resistivity

Low resistivity (ρ ~ 3–24 mΩ·cm) with tunable n- and p-type single phase Cu2O thin films have been grown by pulsed laser deposition at 25–200 °C by varying the background oxygen partial pressure (O2pp). Capacitance data obtained by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy was used to determine the conductivity (n- or p-type), carrier density, and flat band potentials for samples grown on indium tin oxide (ITO) at 25 °C. The Hall mobility (μH) of the n- and p-type Cu2O was estimated to be ~0.85 cm2/V.s and ~ 4.78 cm2/V.s respectively for samples grown on quartz substrate at 25 °C. An elevated substrate temperature ~ 200 °C with O2pp = 2–3 mTorr yielded p-type Cu2O films with six orders of magnitude higher resistivities in the range, ρ ~ 9–49 kΩ.cm and mobilities in the range, μH ~ 13.5–22.2 cm2/V.s. UV–Vis-NIR diffuse reflectance spectroscopy showed optical bandgaps of Cu2O films in the range of 1.76 to 2.15 eV depending on O2pp. Thin films grown at oxygen rich conditions O2pp ≥ 7 mTorr yielded mixed phase copper oxide irrespective of the substrate temperatures and upon air annealing at 550 °C for 1 h completely converted to CuO phase with n-type semiconducting properties (ρ ~ 12 Ω.cm, μH ~ 1.50 cm2/V.s). The as-grown p- and n-type Cu2O showed rectification and a photovoltaic response in solid junctions with n-ZnO and p-Si electrodes respectively. Our findings may create new opportunities for devising Cu2O based junctions requiring low process temperatures.