AlZnO magnetron sputtered thin film for photovoltaic application

Zohreh  Ghorannevis; Mehran  Jamalpourkolour; Arash  Boochani; Arash  Yari; Nosratali  Vahabzadeh; Parnia  Goudarzi

doi:10.59400/esc.v2i2.1151

AlZnO magnetron sputtered thin film for photovoltaic application

Zohreh Ghorannevis Department of Physics, Karaj Branch, Islamic Azad University, Alborz, Iran
Mehran Jamalpourkolour Department of Physics, Karaj Branch, Islamic Azad University, Alborz, Iran
Arash Boochani Department of Physics, Kermanshah Branch, Islamic Azad University, Kermanshah, Iran
Arash Yari Department of Physics, Kermanshah Branch, Islamic Azad University, Kermanshah, Iran
Nosratali Vahabzadeh Department of Physics, Parsabad Moghan Branch, Islamic Azad University, Parsabad Moghan, Iran
Parnia Goudarzi Plasma Physics Research Center, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran

Article ID: 1151

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.59400/esc.v2i2.1151

Keywords: AZO; sputtering; photovoltaic; thin film solar cell; DFT

Abstract

Aluminum zinc oxide (AZO) is a nontoxic and low-cost material that finds application as a transparent conducting electrode in photovoltaic devices. In this study, the (direct current) DC magnetron sputtering of AZO films is carried out at different deposition times of 5, 10, 15, 20, and 25 min’s at room temperature, and its structural, optical, electrical, and morphological properties are studied for its use as a front contact for thin film solar cell application. The structural study suggests that the preferred orientation of grains along the (002) plane has a hexagonal structure, and the optical and electrical studies suggest that the films show an average transmission of 70% and a resistivity of the order of 10^-4Ω cm. On the other hand, the scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images suggest the formation of packed grains with a homogeneous surface. Moreover, in order to study the optoelectronic properties of prepared samples, the electronic and optical calculations of the AZO are performed by the first-principles calculations using density functional theory (DFT).

References

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Published

2024-05-16

How to Cite

Ghorannevis, Z., Jamalpourkolour, M., Boochani, A., Yari, A., Vahabzadeh, N., & Goudarzi, P. (2024). AlZnO magnetron sputtered thin film for photovoltaic application. Energy Storage and Conversion, 2(2), 1151. https://doi.org/10.59400/esc.v2i2.1151

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