Abstract

Elaboration and Characterization of Pb-Doped Copper Oxide Thin Films

Author(s): D. Tabli 1, N. Touka 1*, K. Badari1, N. Selmi2 and A. Bougharouat3

Sol-gel thin films of undoped CuO and Pb-doped CuO were deposited using the spin coating method. In three thin layers, the lead was introduced at two different concentrations (5% and 7%). The films produced were in the tenorite phase, with high purity and crystallinity, according to XRD structural characterization. The grain size of CuO films is affected by the Pb concentration and decreases as the Pb concentration increases, although the strain and dislocation density values increase as the Pb doping ratio increases. The structure of CuO was confirmed in all films by Raman and FTIR studies. In the presence of Pb dopants, SEM examinations revealed cubic and spherical nanostructured surfaces. With the value of the optical band gap increasing from 1.92 eV to 2.74 eV, there was a significant association between increasing Pb doping concentration and widening of the optical band gap.