Hybrid Cu(2)O diode with orientation-controlled C(60) polycrystal.

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Semiconductor Physics
• Device Engineering

Background:

• Hybrid diodes offer unique electronic properties by combining different semiconductor materials.
• Cupric oxide (Cu2O) is a p-type semiconductor with a suitable bandgap for optoelectronic applications.
• Fullerene (C60) is a well-known n-type organic semiconductor often used in organic electronics.

Purpose of the Study:

• To fabricate and characterize a hybrid diode utilizing p-cupric oxide (Cu2O) and fullerene (C60).
• To investigate the effect of C60 evaporation rate on the structural and electrical properties of the hybrid diode.
• To evaluate the photovoltaic performance of the fabricated Cu2O/C60 hybrid diode.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of a 500 nm thick Cu2O layer via electrodeposition.
• Deposition of a 50 nm thick C60 layer using vacuum evaporation at varying rates (0.25–1.0 Å/s).
• Structural characterization of C60 layers (face-centered cubic, lattice constant, preferred orientation) and electrical testing (rectification, ideality factor, photovoltaic performance).

Main Results:

• The hybrid p-Cu2O/C60 diode exhibited rectification properties across all C60 evaporation rates.
• Decreasing the C60 evaporation rate improved rectification ratio and forward current density.
• An optimal C60 evaporation rate of 0.25 Å/s yielded excellent rectification (ideality factor ~1) and a photovoltaic conversion efficiency of 8.7 × 10(-6)% under AM1.5 illumination.

Conclusions:

• The C60 evaporation rate critically influences the structural and electronic properties of p-Cu2O/C60 hybrid diodes.
• Lowering the C60 evaporation rate enhances diode performance, including rectification and photovoltaic efficiency.
• The developed hybrid diode shows potential for optoelectronic applications, with further optimization possible.