Controlled growth and properties of p-type cuprous oxide films by plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition at low temperature

Various copper oxide films were successfully grown by plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition (PEALD) at a low temperature of 100 °C. X-ray diffraction analysis of the films indicated that phase-controlled deposition of CuOx phases (0 ≤ x < 1) was possible by controlling the number of Cu deposition steps during one PEALD cycle with a fixed oxidation step. When Cu deposition was executed in one step, an amorphous CuOx (x = 0.9) film with a smooth surface (RMS roughness of 0.97 nm) was obtained. On the other hand, when the number of Cu deposition steps was increased to three, a CuOx (x = 0.6) thin film with a polycrystalline phase (grain size: 25 nm) was obtained. The as-deposited CuO0.6 film showed p-type conductivity (Hall mobility ∼37 cm2/V·s and hole concentration ∼5.4 × 1014 cm−3). Moreover, p-type CuO0.6/n-type ZnO heterojunction diodes fabricated on a flexible polyethylene terephthalate substrate exhibited electrical rectification with a threshold voltage of 1.2 V.