Work

Depositions and characterization of sol–gel processed Al-doped ZnO (AZO) as transparent conducting oxide (TCO) for solar cell application

Year: 2019

Type: article

Abstract: Al-doped ZnO (AZO) thin films are deposited on glass substrate by sol–gel spin coating using zinc acetate dihydrate as a precursor with different molar concentrations varying from 0.35 to 0.75 mol/L. To investigate the structural, electrical, optical and morphological properties of AZO films, XRD, four-point probes, HE measurement, UV–Vis spectrometry and SEM with EDX are used. Thickness of the thin film is measured by a surface profilometer. The structural characteristics show a hexagonal wurtzite structure with a (002)-preferred orientation. Optical study reveals that transmittance is very high (up to 90%) within the visible region and optical band gap, E g varies from 3.25 to 3.29 eV with Zn concentration. The carrier concentration increases and resistivity decreases with the increase in Zn concentration. Thin films fabricated with 0.75 mol/L of Zn concentration exhibit the best electrical property. SEM study shows non-uniform surface of the films where EDX confirms the formation of AZO. The results revealed by this study prompt a high interest to use AZO as transparent conductive oxide for advanced applications such as displays, solar cells and optoelectronic devices.

Source: Journal of theoretical and applied physics

DOI: 10.1007/s40094-019-0329-0

Authors: Afrina Sharmin, Samia Tabassum, M. S. Bashar, Zahid Hasan Mahmood

Institutions: Bangladesh Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, University of Dhaka

Language: English

Topic: ZnO doping and properties

Subfield: Materials Chemistry

Field: Materials Science

Domain: Physical Sciences

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid:

Funder: Bangladesh Council of Scientific and Industrial Research