Well-Modified Morphology of CuO Thin Films Using NiO and Fe2O3 Seed Layers

Abstract

In this work, nickel oxide and ferric oxide thin films prepared by chemical spray pyrolysis (CSP) were used as seed layers for the deposition of cupric oxide by chemical bath deposition (CBD). The aim was to investigate the effect of these seed layers on the structural, optical, and electrical properties of CuO prepared by CBD. XRD analysis confirmed the formation of CuO thin films on Fe₂O₃ and NiO seed layers. The FESEM analysis showed that the morphology of CuO thin films is influenced by the type of seed layer. AFM results showed that smoother surfaces led to better CuO thin films morphologies. The energy gap was obtained using an innovative method from uv-vis spectroscopy measurements. Hall’s effect measurements revealed that the obtained CuO films exhibited p-type conductivity and DC-conductivity were highest in samples that exhibited highest dislocation densities.