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Effect of Al doping on microstructure and optical band gap of ZnO thin film synthesized by successive ion layer adsorption and reaction

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Abstract

Thin films of pure and aluminum-doped zinc oxide (AZO) were deposited on glass substrates from ammonium zincate bath following a chemical dipping technique called successive ion layer adsorption and reaction (SILAR). Characterization techniques such as X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy-dispersive X-rays (EDX) were used to investigate the effect of Al doping on the microstructure of AZO films. Particle size analysis using X-ray line broadening shows marginally increasing trend with increasing Al impurity. The average particle size for pure ZnO is 22.75 nm. It increases to 24.26 nm for 1% AZO film and 25.13 nm for 2% AZO film. Incorporation of Al was confirmed from elemental analysis using EDX. SEM micrograph shows that pure ZnO particles are spherical shaped. However, AZO films show particles with off-spherical shape with compact interconnected grains. The value of band gap for pure ZnO is 3.229 eV and it increases to 3.29 eV for 1% AZO indicating a blue-shift for 1% AZO film. However, for 2% AZO film, a decrease in band gap compared to pure ZnO is observed indicating a red-shift of fundamental absorption edge. Electrical resistance shows an initial decrease with increasing Al content. With further enhancement of Al incorporation, the resistance increases.

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Acknowledgements

One of the authors (PM) gratefully acknowledges CSIR (Council of Scientific and Industrial Research), New Delhi, India, for providing some financial support in the form of a research project [No. 03 (1195)/11/EMR-II].

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MONDAL, S., BHATTACHARYYA, S.R. & MITRA, P. Effect of Al doping on microstructure and optical band gap of ZnO thin film synthesized by successive ion layer adsorption and reaction. Pramana - J Phys 80, 315–326 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12043-012-0463-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12043-012-0463-6

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