Development and Automation of an Ultra-High Vacuum System for Synthesis of 2-Dimensional Materials

There are increasing demands for the development of high performance optoelectronic devices comprised of cost effective, abundant materials and facile fabrication methods. Research has been conducted to enhance the performance of transparent conductors (TCs), such as copper(I) iodide (CuI), to increase the range of applications in optoelectronic devices. These applications include solar cells, light emitting diodes, and flat panel displays. The potential of CuI to be more competitive against current applications in transparent electronics depends on the ability of the p-type semiconductor to reach high room temperature conductivity values and maintain high transparency values. This research focuses on doping CuI with various concentrations of lithium to manipulate conductivity values, as well as fabricating CuI thin films. Figure of merit (FOM), which measures the ratio of electrical conductivity to the visible absorption coefficient, will be used to numerically represent the transparency and conductivity of the doped CuI thin films relative to other p-type TCs.