SYNTHESIS AND CHARACTERIZATION OF Al-DOPED ZnO THIN FILMS AS ANTI-REFLECTION COATINGS FOR SOLAR CELL APPLICATIONS.

In this work, we have synthesized ZnO:Al thin films by pulsed laser deposition technique and investigated their microstructural and optical properties. The XRD study confirmed a polycrystalline structure of wurtzite ZnO in all films. Further, Al doping has improved the crystallinity and decreased the crystal size and volume of the unit cell. The surface morphology was homogeneous with nanoscopic crystals clustered to form granular nanoparticles. The optical properties significantly improved by increasing the Al doping concentration. The produced thin films are excellent candidates for use as an anti-reflection layer in solar cells due to their outstanding properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]