Tuning the magnetic properties of electrochemically deposited Cu₂O thin films by Fe incorporation

Pristine and Fe incorporated cuprous oxide Cu_2−xFe_xO (x = 0–3 mM) thin films were deposited on the Fluorine doped Tin Oxide (FTO) glass substrate by employing electrochemical deposition technique in an aqueous solution containing CuSO₄ and FeSO₄ sources. The deposited thin films were characterized with the help of X-ray Diffraction (XRD), Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), Photoluminescence (PL), UV–Vis-NIR Spectroscopy, LCR Measurement and Vibrating Sample Magnetometer (VSM) to investigate the structural, morphological, optical, electrical and magnetic properties respectively. XRD patterns confirm about the presence of pristine and Fe incorporated Cu₂O films which are in cubic structure and are grown along with their (111) preferential growth orientation. SEM images display that a three sided pyramid shaped morphology of the Cu₂O thin films have significantly got changed with an increase in Fe concentrations. Photoluminescence (PL) spectra show a near band edge emission around 495 nm which are in good agreement with optical band gap of UV–Vis spectra. Temperature dependent LCR measurements illustrate that the conductivity of film decreases with an increase in the Fe dopant concentration. Vibrating Sample Magnetometer (VSM) measurement enables in understanding that the diamagnetic nature of pristine Cu₂O thin film gets obviously transformed into ferromagnetic nature as the Fe concentration gets increased from 0 to 3 mM. XPS spectra enables in knowing that the 3 mM Fe doped Cu₂O thin films exhibit Fe³⁺ ions which are substituted in Cu₂O lattice.