Nickel doped copper oxide thin films prepared by radiofrequency reactive sputtering: study of the impact of nickel content on the structural, optical and electrical properties

Abstract

Nickel doped copper oxide thin films were grown on glass and silicon substrates using radiofrequency sputtering in an argon–oxygen atmosphere. The impact of doping on the structural, optical, and electrical properties of copper oxide was examined for various contents of nickel. The X-ray diffraction results revealed the polycrystalline monoclinic structure of copper oxide for the prepared films. Raman spectroscopy confirmed that only the copper oxide phase is evidenced in nickel-doped copper oxide films. The band gap energy increased with increasing nickel content. All the sputtered films showed p-type conduction and the resistivity depends on the nickel content.