Effect of deposition potential on the physical properties of electrodeposited CuO thin films

Semiconducting cupric oxide (CuO) thin films were prepared onto ITO substrates from alkaline medium using electrodeposition technique. CuO thin films were characterized by stylus profilometer, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and optical absorption techniques. X-ray diffraction study shows that the electrodeposited CuO thin films are polycrystalline in nature with face centred cubic structure prepared under various deposition potentials. X-ray diffraction studies also reveal that the films exhibit preferential orientation along a (111) plane with crystallite size between 40 and 43 nm. Micro structural properties of films such as lattice parameter, grain size, dislocation density and micro strain were calculated from predominant (111) diffraction lines. The optical constants (refractive index (n) and extinction coefficient (k)) of CuO thin films were evaluated using optical studies. SEM studies show that the grain sizes of CuO thin films vary between 100 and 150 nm and also morphologies revealed that the electrodeposited CuO exhibits uniformity in size and shape. The effect of deposition potential on the physical properties like structure, morphology, microstructure and optical properties of the CuO thin films are studied.