Control of the growth orientation and electrical properties of polycrystalline Cu_(2)O thin films by group-IV elements doping

摘要

The effects of group-IV element dopants on the structural and electrical properties of Cu_(2)O thin films were studied. Similar dopant-induced behavior was found in the observed variations of the growth orientation and electrical properties of Si- and Ge-doped Cu_(2)O thin films. Ge doping was found to induce electrically active acceptors with an activation energy of 0.18 eV, comparable to the 0.19 eV value of Si-doped Cu_(2)O. These results suggest that locally formed silicate and germanate have the same effect on the structural and electrical properties of Cu_(2)O. On the other hand, Sn and Pb likely act as donors when incorporated substitutionally onto Cu-lattice sites, although further study may be required to suppress self-compensation effects in Cu_(2)O to achieve n-type conductivity.