Effect of N2 concentration on structural, morphological, and optoelectronic properties of Cu3N films fabricated by RF magnetron sputtering for photodetection applications

Copper nitride (Cu3N) is a promising eco-friendly material for photodetection and photovoltaic absorption. This study focuses on fabricating high-quality Cu3N thin films via reactive radio-frequency magnetron sputtering, using pure N2 and N2/Ar mixture environments, respectively. We investigate how...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Materials science in semiconductor processing 2025-03, Vol.188, p.109176, Article 109176
Main Authors: Rodríguez-Tapiador, M.I., Mánuel, José M., Blanco, E., Márquez, E., Gordillo, N., Sainz, R., Merino, J., Fernández, S.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Copper nitride
Ellipsometry
Photodetection
Reactive magnetron sputtering
Scanning electron microscopy
Work function
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Summary:Copper nitride (Cu3N) is a promising eco-friendly material for photodetection and photovoltaic absorption. This study focuses on fabricating high-quality Cu3N thin films via reactive radio-frequency magnetron sputtering, using pure N2 and N2/Ar mixture environments, respectively. We investigate how variations in the substrate temperature and the working gas pressure affect absorption capabilities. Phase structure analysis confirms an anti-ReO3 structure with a preferred (100) orientation, and lattice parameters between 0.3810 and 0.3832 nm, with electrical resistivity around 104 Ω cm, indicating a semiconductor character. The films exhibit improved crystalline quality when deposited in pure N2 at 100 °C. Rutherford Backscattering Spectrometry reveals non-stoichiometric films with Cu/N ratios close to 3. The work function showed by the films deposited in N2/Ar is approximately 4.45 eV, while for those deposited in pure N2, the values range from 4.30 to 4.62 eV. Optical properties show a high absorbance and a variable refractive index depending on the deposition conditions. Lastly, the Cu3N films deposited at 100 °C in pure N2 exhibit enhanced photocurrent and photosensitivity of 3.78 × 10−8 A and 9644.9 %, respectively, at 10 V and using AM1.5G as light source. This result underscores the importance of plasma composition as a key factor for obtaining a material with great potential to be applied in such applications.
ISSN:1369-8001
DOI:10.1016/j.mssp.2024.109176