Intrinsic defect engineering of cuprous oxide to enhance electrical transport properties for photovoltaic applications

Intrinsic point-defect species in cuprous oxide films are manipulated based on their thermodynamic properties via the implementation of a controlled annealing process. A wide range of electrical properties is demonstrated, with a window suitable for high-quality solar cell devices. A variation of carrier concentration over two orders of magnitude is demonstrated. Minority carrier lifetime is investigated by means of microwave photoconductance decay measurements, demonstrating a strong correlation with carrier concentration. Spectrally resolved photoluminescence yields are analyzed to provide insight into lifetime limiting mechanisms as a function of Cu
₂
O processing parameters. Hall measurements of carrier mobility and concentration are taken at room temperature to provide insight into the effect of these processing conditions on net ionized defect concentration.