The tuning of electrical performance of Au/(CuO:La)/n-Si photodiode with La doping

In this study, CuO thin films are grown by spin coating method as a function of La doping on n-Si substrates. The morphological properties of thin films have been analyzed by AFM images, and it has been observed that the roughness of thin films have been decreased with increasing La dopant concentration. The surface topography and chemical composition of thin films have been studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energydispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), respectively. Then, the electrical characteristics of the fabricated heterostructures have been measured and analyzed under dark and illumination condition. All diodes show rectification behavior and sensitivity to light. It has been observed that the series resistance and ideality factor values, which are among the basic parameters of the diodes, have been improved by La content. Detailed examination of the photoelectrical properties of photodetectors has revealed that the photoresponsivity and detectivity of Au/ (CuO:La)/n-Si have been significantly enhanced compared to the photodetector without La doped CuO. Results indicated that all structural and electrical parameters strongly depended on lanthanum concentration.