Highly Conductive N-type Aluminum Dopped Zinc Oxide for CZTS Kieserite Solar Cell

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Renewable Energy Science and Engineering Department Faculty of Postgraduate Studies for Advanced Sciences, Beni-Suef University

2 polymers and pigment, national research center,Giza,Egypt

3 Renewable Energy Science and Engineering Department Faculty of Postgraduate Studies for Advanced Sciences, Beni-Suef University Next to Faculty of Industrial Education, Beni-Suef University East of Nile, Beni Suef, 62511, Egypt.

Abstract

Aluminum-doped zinc oxide (ZnO) is a semiconductor material with a wide band gap energy of approximately 3.4 eV and a high binding energy of around 60 meV. These characteristics confer several advantages, including the ability to withstand high breakdown voltages and sustain large electric fields. The inclusion of aluminum also enhances the electrical conductivity of zinc oxide. In this study, we employed a hydrothermal method, using zinc acetate as the source of ZnO, to synthesize AZO nanoparticles by incorporating aluminum. We conducted a thorough examination of the structural, morphological, and electrical properties of these Al-doped ZnO nanoparticles using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and Hall effect measurements. Additionally, we utilized the synthesized AZO as a buffer layer in CZTS-based solar cells, with the structure [Mo/ CZTS /CdS/AZO/Au], achieving a commendable conversion efficiency of 5%.

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