The Effect of Fe Doping on the Structural and Optical Properties of (CuO:ZnO) Thin Films Prepared by the PLD Technique

Abstract

This study investigates the structural and optical properties of Fe-doped (CuO: ZnO) thin films with varying Fe contents (x = 0.1–0.5%) deposited on glass substrates via pulsed laser deposition (PLD) at ambient temperature under a vacuum of 1 × 10⁻² mbar. X-ray diffraction (XRD) confirmed that all films maintained a monoclinic polycrystalline structure, with grain size decreasing with increasing Fe concentration. Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDS) verified the successful incorporation of Fe without altering the Cu and Zn composition. Increasing Fe concentration significantly affected the optical transmission, absorption, refractive index (n), extinction coefficient (k), and dielectric constants, demonstrating that Fe doping strongly modifies the structural, optical, and dielectric properties of CuO: ZnO thin films.