Development of enduring interstitial defects in Mg-doped CuO thin films
Adithya Prakash1, Vikash Mishra1, M G Mahesha1
1Department of Physics, Manipal Institute of Technology, Manipal Academy of Higher Education 576104 India mahesha.mg@manipal.edu.
RSC Advances
|March 27, 2024
Summary
Magnesium doping enhances copper oxide (CuO) thin film conductivity by increasing oxygen interstitial defects. This study systematically investigated Mg doping effects on CuO optoelectronic properties.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Solid State Physics
- Semiconductor Technology
Background:
- Semiconducting thin films are crucial for electronic devices.
- Doping is a key method for tuning material properties.
- Copper oxide (CuO) is a promising semiconductor material.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of magnesium (Mg) doping on the optoelectronic properties of copper oxide (CuO) thin films.
- To understand the role of oxygen interstitial (Oi) defects in Mg-doped CuO.
- To correlate doping-induced structural and defect changes with electrical and optical property enhancements.
Main Methods:
- Spray pyrolysis technique for thin film preparation.
- Varying Mg doping concentrations (2-10 at%) in CuO films.
- Characterization using X-ray diffraction, FESEM, Raman, PL, XPS, and Hall measurements.
- Density functional theory (DFT) analysis for theoretical insights.
Main Results:
- Mg doping led to a reduction in crystallite size and a widening of the band gap.
- Oxygen interstitial (Oi) defects were observed to increase with Mg doping.
- Enhanced carrier concentration and improved electrical conductivity were achieved in doped films.
Conclusions:
- Mg doping effectively modifies the optoelectronic properties of CuO thin films.
- Oxygen interstitial defects play a significant role in enhancing the electrical conductivity of CuO.
- The study provides a comprehensive understanding of Mg doping effects on CuO for potential applications.
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