Controlled growth and characteristics of single-phase Cu₂O and CuO films by pulsed laser deposition

Copper oxide, Cu₂O and CuO, thin films have been synthesized on Si (100) substrates using pulsed laser deposition method. The influences of substrate temperature and oxygen pressure on the structural properties of copper oxide films were discussed. The X-ray diffraction results show that the structure of the films changes from Cu₂O to CuO phase with the increasing of the oxygen pressure. It is also found that the (200) and (111) preferred Cu₂O films can be modified by changing substrate temperature. The formation of Cu₂O and CuO films are further identified by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. For the Cu₂O films, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopic studies indicate the presence of CuO on the surface. In addition, the optical gaps of Cu₂O and CuO films have been determined by measuring the transmittance and reflectance spectra.