Cuprous Oxide Thin Films Implanted with Chromium Ions—Optical and Physical Properties Studies

Cuprous oxide is a semiconductor with potential for use in photocatalysis, sensors, and photovoltaics. We used ion implantation to modify the properties of Cu2O oxide. Thin films of Cu2O were deposited with magnetron sputtering and implanted with low-energy Cr ions of different dosages. The X-ray diffraction method was used to determine the structure and composition of deposited and implanted films. The optical properties of the material before and after implantation were studied using spectrophotometry and spectroscopic ellipsometry. The investigation of surface topography was performed with atomic force microscopy. The implantation had little influence on the atomic lattice constant of the oxide structure, and no clear dependence of microstrain or crystalline size on the dose of implantation was found. The appearance of phase change was observed, which could have been caused by the implantation. Ellipsometry measurements showed an increase in the total thickness of the sample with an increase in the amount of implanted Cr ions, which indicates the influence of implantation on the properties of the surface and subsurface region. The refractive index n, extinction coefficient k, and absorption coefficient optical parameters show different energy dependences related to implantation dose.