Effects of Cu doping on the structural, optical and electrical characterizations of spray-deposited Ni-O thin films

The study involved depositing nickel oxide samples on well-cleaned substrates of ordinary glass by employing the spray pyrolysis method. The main objective was to examine how different concentrations of copper-doping impact nickel oxide sample’s structural, electrical, and optical characteristics. The XRD patterns of the copper-doped nickel oxide indicated that increasing copper concentration levels led to improved film crystallinity. The crystal sizes and strain of the films were evaluated using Williamson-Hall analysis. The study also discussed the optical properties, with a focus on using transmittance data to assess the optical bandgap energy and Urbach energy, which are important optical parameters. The increase in electrical conductivity to its maximum value can be interpreted via the rise in the carrier concentration in the prepared samples. The NiO:Cu thin film exhibits interesting electrical conductivity due to its low sheet resistance. NiO:Cu film has the potential for use in various electronic and optoelectronic devices because of its optical bandgap, significant transparency in the visible spectrum, and excellent electrical conductivity