Magnetron Sputtered Al-ZnO Thin Films for Photovoltaic Applications

The optimization process of the RF magnetron sputtered Al doped ZnO (AZO) thin films was carried out by studying its structural, optical, electrical, and morphological properties at different RF power and different working pressures for its use as a front-contact for the copper indium diselenide (CIS) based thin film solar cell. The structural study suggests that the preferred orientation of grains along the ( /002) plane having a hexagonal structure of the grains. The optical and electrical properties suggest that the films show an average transmission of 85 % and a resistivity of the order of 10-4 Ωcm. The morphology analysis suggests the formation of packed grains having a homogeneous surface.