by M. I. Rodríguez-Tapiador, José M. Mánuel, E. Blanco, E. Márquez, N. Gordillo, R. Sainz, J. Merino and S. Fernández
Abstract:
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.
Reference:
M. I. Rodríguez-Tapiador, José M. Mánuel, E. Blanco, E. Márquez, N. Gordillo, R. Sainz, J. Merino and S. Fernández, “Effect of N2 concentration on structural, morphological, and optoelectronic properties of Cu3N films fabricated by RF magnetron sputtering for photodetection applications”, Materials Science in Semiconductor Processing, vol. 188, pp. 109176.
Bibtex Entry:
@article{rodriguez-tapiador_effect_2025,
title = {Effect of {N2} concentration on structural, morphological, and optoelectronic properties of {Cu3N} films fabricated by {RF} magnetron sputtering for photodetection applications},
volume = {188},
issn = {1369-8001},
url = {https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1369800124010722},
doi = {10.1016/j.mssp.2024.109176},
abstract = {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.},
urldate = {2024-12-11},
journal = {Materials Science in Semiconductor Processing},
author = {Rodríguez-Tapiador, M. I. and Mánuel, José M. and Blanco, E. and Márquez, E. and Gordillo, N. and Sainz, R. and Merino, J. and Fernández, S.},
month = mar,
year = {2025},
keywords = {Copper nitride, Reactive magnetron sputtering, Ellipsometry, Photodetection, Scanning electron microscopy, Work function},
pages = {109176},
file = {PDF:E:\Usuarios\Administrator\Zotero\storage\TDBG5PTJ\Rodríguez-Tapiador et al. - 2025 - Effect of N2 concentration on structural, morphological, and optoelectronic properties of Cu3N films.pdf:application/pdf},
}