Growth and optoelectronic properties of Cu3NPdx thin films by solution deposition

Abstract Cu3NPdx thin films have been successfully prepared on glass substrates by a facile chemical solution deposition. Phase composition and surface morphology are evaluated by X-ray diffraction and field-emission scanning electronic microscope. The X-ray diffraction and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy results reveal that palladium will occupy the body centre position. Pd dependent electrical and optical properties of the Cu3NPdx thin films are investigated. Electrical conductivity can be greatly improved and the indirect bandgap is decreased with increasing the palladium doping, and the optical band gap can be adjusted within the range of 1.40–1.04 eV. The results will provide a facile solution route to synthesize high-quality copper nitride thin films with low-cost and controllable optoelectronic performance.