Structural, optical and optoelectrical analysis of a new window layer based on ZnAl 2 S 4 thin films
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Structural, optical and optoelectrical analysis of a new window layer based on ZnAl2S4 thin films I. M. El Radaf1,2,*
, M. S. AlKhalifah1, and M. S. El-Bana1,3
1
Materials Physics and Energy Laboratory, Physics Department, College of Science and Arts at Ar Rass, Qassim University, Ar Rass 51921, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia 2 Electron Microscope and Thin Films Department, Physics Division, National Research Centre, Dokki 12622, Giza, Egypt 3 Nano-Science & Semiconductor Laboratories, Department of Physics, Faculty of Education, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt
Received: 31 May 2020
ABSTRACT
Accepted: 27 August 2020
In this work, we report the manufacturing of neoteric window layers based on ternary chalcogenide ZnAl2S4 films utilizing an inexpensive spray pyrolysis method for the first time. Three films (228 nm, 262 nm, and 319 nm) have been prepared. The X-ray diffraction was applied to check the cubic phase of the ZnAl2S4 films. The morphology analysis depicted that the 262 nm film has the lowest porosity and roughness as compared with other films. This affects its refractive index values which correspondingly sheds an impact on its optical/ optoelectrical parameters. ZnAl2S4 films revealed the n-type conductivity and this has been confirmed via the hot-probe experiment. Furthermore, our results displayed that the ZnAl2S4 thin films exhibited a wide energy gap in the extent of 3.68–4.01 eV along with good optical conductivity. Hence, the ZnAl2S4 films could be a suitable new economic window layer in solar cells. Besides, the 319 nm film has presented a prominent enlargement in the nonlinear optical parameters as compared to other inspected films which could be a good sign of utilizing this material in nonlinear optical devices.
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Springer Science+Business
Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature 2020
1 Introduction Nowadays, chalcogenide thin films received great interest because of their important application areas such as optoelectronic devices, electrical switching, solar cells, and light-emitting diode [1–4]. An interesting class of them is the earth-abundant quaternary materials. They have fascinating characteristics such as their stability, ease of preparation, inexpensive price, and good optical and electrical properties. This
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https://doi.org/10.1007/s10854-020-04364-w
makes them suitable for producing an economic absorber and window layers in solar cells [5, 6]. It is worth noting that, the production of window layer needs a semiconductor material that has a wide bandgap to the extent of 3.5–3.8 eV and has large transmittance values [7, 8]. These conditions have been displayed in metal oxides like tin oxide, zinc oxide, indium oxide which revealed a good performance as window layers in solar cells [9]. Further, the production of the absorber layer needs a
J Mater Sci: Mater Electron
semiconductor material that has a narrow energy gap in the extent of 1–1.5 eV and prominent absorption in the wavelength domain of 350–1000 nm that is more than 1
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