Electrodeposited CuO/Cu2O heterojunction for PV applications

Abstract

Anodic electrodeposition was carried out to grow CuO thin films on Ti substrate at a deposition potential of 700 mV vs. SCE in an aqueous solution containing 0.4 M CuSO4 and 3.0 M lactic acid. CuO thin films were annealed at 375 o C for 15 min in air to improve the surface quality prior to the growth of Cu2O films, in order to fabricate the heterojunction. After growth of n-Cu2O, zero bias spectral response and dark and light I-V characteristics in PEC were employed to investigate n-Cu2O growth conditions on p-CuO thin films. CuO/Cu2O heterojunction solar cells were fabricated by electrodeposition of n-Cu2O thin film on Ti/CuO electrode at -200 mV vs. SCE for 60 min in an acetate bath. Ti/CuO/Cu2O/Au solar cell structure was characterized using zero bias spectral response and dark and light I-V characteristics and the cell produced VOC of 290 mV and ISC of 2.63 mA/cm2.