Role of Solution Chemistry in Determining the Morphology and Photoconductivity of Electrodeposited Cuprous Oxide Films

Electrodeposition of single-phase, crystalline Cu 2 O thin films is demonstrated using acidic lactate/Cu 2+ solutions. Relative speciation distributions of the various metal complex ions present under different growth conditions are calculated using reported equilibrium association constants and supported experimentally by UV–vis absorption spectroscopy. Cu 2 O films grown from acidic lactate solutions can exhibit a distinctive flowerlike, dendritic morphology in contrast to the faceted, dense films obtained using alkaline lactate solutions. Dependence of thin film morphology on the lactate/Cu 2+ molar ratio and the applied potential is described. Hot point probe measurements have been used to determine the p-type conductivity of these Cu 2 O films. A short circuit current density of 23 μA/cm 2 under 0.583 mW/cm 2 monochromatic green light emitting diode (LED) illumination was measured for a Cu 2 O film grown at pH = 5.27, which was substantially larger than that of a Cu 2 O film deposited under basic conditions.