Photocurrent enhancement of d.c. sputtered copper oxide thin films

Copper oxide (CuO) thin films with photocurrent as high as 25 μA/cm2 were deposited on conductive glass substrates using d.c. reactive sputtering. This was the highest reported photocurrent for sputteredp- type copper oxide measured in the electrolyte KI. The photocurrent drastically increased up to 25 (μA/cm2 as the sputtering pressure and the substrate temperature were increased up to 8.5 mbar and 192°C, respectively. All the synthesized films contained single phase of CuO in this range of pressure and substrate temperature. Variation of the photocurrent, photovoltage, structure and absorbance with deposition conditions were studied in detail.