A simple method for controlling the type of cuprous oxide semiconductors using different surfactants

The conduction type (n- or p-type) of cuprous oxide (Cu2O) can be controlled by adding different kinds of surfactant in solution through a wet reduction process. It was found that cuprous oxides fabricated in the presence of cationic surfactants were n-type semiconductors, the cuprous oxides formed in the presence of anionic or nonionic surfactants were p-type semiconductors. A suggested formation process and corresponding mechanism has been proposed on the basis of the experimental results.