Copper effect on cadmium sulfide thin films for spintronics: microstructures, morphological, photoluminescence and magnetic properties

Abstract

CdS1-xCux (with 0 ≤ x ≤ 0.10) semiconductor thin films were successfully fabricated using electron beam evaporation. The effect of [Cu]/[S] on the structural properties of thin films was investigated using XRD, EDX, SEM and UV spectroscopy. Furthermore, the effects of different Cu concentrations on the optical parameters of these films are also reported. XRD analysis showed that the CdS1-xCux film was improved, showing a hexagonal polycrystalline structure with an increased Cu doping ratio. Furthermore, the size of the crystallites D decreases, while the microstrain ε-strain increases with increasing copper incorporation into the CdS lattice. The observed shift in the emission band of the photoluminescence spectrum confirms the substitution of Cu by the CdS lattice. Magnetization measurements using a vibrating sample magnetometer revealed hysteresis loops in Cu-doped CdS films and confirmed ferromagnetism at room temperature.