Effect of doping concentration on the properties of aluminium doped zinc oxide thin films prepared by spray pyrolysis for transparent electrode applications

Journal article

Authors/Editors

Muiva, Cosmas

Research Areas

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Publication Details

Author list: Muiva CM, Sathiaraj TS, Maabong K

Publisher: Elsevier

Place: OXFORD

Publication year: 2011

Journal: Ceramics International (0272-8842)

Journal acronym: CERAM INT

Volume number: 37

Issue number: 2

Start page: 555

End page: 560

Number of pages: 6

ISSN: 0272-8842

eISSN: 1873-3956

Languages: English-Great Britain (EN-GB)

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Abstract

Zinc oxide possesses many interesting properties, such as modifiable conductivity, wide band gap, high excitonic binding energy, piezo-electric polarisation and cathodoluminiscence. In this study transparent conducting aluminium doped zinc oxide (ZnO:Al) thin films were deposited on float glass substrates by tailor made spray pyrolysis with adaptation for measuring the actual temperature of the substrate surface during deposition. The films were characterised and the effect of aluminium doping concentration [Al/Zn] on their optical, electrical and structural properties was investigated as a function of aluminium doping between 0 and 10 at.%. There was widening of optical band gap with increasing doping concentration. ZnO:Al films with low resistivity of 2.8 x 10(-2) Omega cm and high transmittance of over 85% at 550 nm which are crucial for opto-electrical applications were obtained at a doping ratio of 2 at.%. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd and Techna Group S.r.l. All rights reserved.

Keywords

spray pyrolysis, thin films, ZnO

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