Journal article

Publication year: 2021

Journal: Journal of Applied Physics

Volume number: 129

Issue number: 11

ISSN: 0021-8979

eISSN: 1089-7550

Open access status: Hybrid

DOI Link: https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0036591

Publisher: American Institute of Physics

Abstract: 
The copper oxides cuprite (Cu2O) and tenorite (CuO) are ideal candidates for solar cells as they promise high conversion efficiencies according to the Shockley-Queisser limit. However, both cannot readily be doped n-type, thus hampering the formation of all copper oxide p-n junctions for solar cell applications. The combination of the copper oxides with gallium sesquioxide, in particular, alpha -Ga2O3 and beta -Ga2O3, is considered to be an excellent heterojunction system for overcoming this challenge. In such a p-n junction, the p-type copper oxide layer will act as an absorber and the transparent n-type gallium sesquioxide will act as a window layer. In these devices, the band alignment at the internal interface is crucial for the device performance. Here, we study the band alignments of four different copper oxide-gallium sesquioxide heterostructures by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Within the experimental margin of error, a Cu2O/alpha -Ga2O3 heterostructure appears to offer the most favorable band alignment for photovoltaic applications.

Harvard Citation style: Benz, S., Becker, M., Polity, A., Chatterjee, S. and Klar, P. (2021) Determining the band alignment of copper-oxide gallium-oxide heterostructures, Journal of Applied Physics, 129(11), Article 115305. https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0036591

APA Citation style: Benz, S., Becker, M., Polity, A., Chatterjee, S., & Klar, P. (2021). Determining the band alignment of copper-oxide gallium-oxide heterostructures. Journal of Applied Physics. 129(11), Article 115305. https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0036591