Microstructures study on cuprous oxide thin films deposited on different substrates by using sol-gel technique

Abstract

Cuprous oxide (Cu₂O) thin films were formed onto three different substrates such as indium tin oxide (ITO) coated glass, titanium oxide (TiO₂) and n-Si substrates by sol-gel spin coating technique. It was found that the formation mechanism of Cu₂O films onto different substrates lead to different microstructures. The films were characterized by field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM). Based on the FESEM micrographs the grain shape of film prepared were different on ITO, TiO₂ and n-Si substrate with 114 nm, 154 nm and 84 nm respectively. The results indicate that the choice of substrate strongly affect the film morphology, structural and optical properties. Keywords: Cu₂O, thin films, ITO, sol-gel, microstructures