The doping effect on the properties of zinc oxide (ZnO) thin layers for photovoltaic applications

• We have elaborated thin layers of ZnO.
• We have implemented the technique of ultrasonic spray.
• We studied its properties by following its evolution for two deposit temperatures.
• We studied the effect of In and Cu on ZnO thin film.
• We studied effect of In and Cu on optical transmission and reflection of ZnO.

In this study, we experimentally elaborated Copper- and Indium-doped Zinc Oxide (Cu: ZnO and In: ZnO) thin films at different temperatures (T1 = 480 °C and T2 = 520 °C), the doping ratio were varied between 0% and 8%. Using a low cost solution-based chemical deposition, we have developed a ZnO thin film deposition process that offers fine-control of the surface morphology. It consists in spraying a volatile compound of the material to be deposited on a substrate maintained at high temperature to cause a chemical reaction in order to form at least one solid product. Therefore, the proposed ZnO doped layer is highly promising for applications for the next-generation solar cells.