Characterization of NiCuOxNy Coatings Obtained via RF Sputtering: Structure, Morphology, and Optical Properties

Abstract

The rapid advancement of technology necessitates the continual development of versatile materials that can adapt to new electronic devices. Rare earth elements, which are scarce in nature, possess the set of properties required for use as semiconductors. Consequently, this research aims to achieve similar properties using materials that are abundant in nature and have a low commercial cost. To this end, nickel and copper were utilized to synthesize thin films of nickel–copper binary oxynitride via reactive RF sputtering. The influence of nitrogen flow on the structure, morphology, chemical composition, and optical properties of the films was investigated using various characterization techniques, including X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), as well as transmittance and adsorbance measurements.