Effect of vanadium doping on the structural, morphological and optical properties of electrodeposited Cu2O thin films
摘要
Vanadium-doped Cu₂O thin films were prepared by electrodeposition from an alkaline lactate solution, and the effect of V content on their structural, morphological, optical and defect-related properties was investigated. XRD analysis confirmed the formation of the cubic cuprite Cu₂O phase, with no detectable crystalline vanadium oxide secondary phase within the detection limit of XRD. The observed peak shift and broadening suggest that V addition affects the crystallinity, lattice strain, defect density and crystallite growth of the films. SEM/EDX analyses confirmed the presence of vanadium and showed a progressive modification of the surface morphology with increasing V content. Optical measurements revealed an increase in transmittance and a slight widening of the estimated optical band gap for V-doped films. PL and Raman analyses indicated changes in defect-related emission and vibrational features. Among the investigated samples, the moderately V-doped film showed the best compromise between structural quality, optical response and defect-related emission.