Investigation of the electrical and optical properties of nickel oxide films produced by RF magnetron sputtering method

Abstract

Nickel oxide (NiO) thin films were deposited by an RF magnetron sputtering process in different atmospheres: one with a mixture of nitrogen and argon, and another with oxygen and argon. The structural, optical and electrical properties of NiO films were investigated using the spectroscopy, atomic-force microscopy and resistivity measurements. The dependencies of the film properties on atmosphere composition were studied. Optimization of the NiO thin film properties was carried out for further fabrication of effective hole transport layers for perovskite solar cells.