Microtron Irradiation Induced Tuning of Band Gap and Photoresponse of Al-ZnO Thin Films Synthesized by mSILAR

Al-doped polycrystalline nano ZnO (Al-ZnO) thin films with different doping concentrations were successfully prepared by the microwave-assisted successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction (mSILAR) technique. The structural analysis along with the orientation of the prepared films was examined by powder x-ray diffraction (PXRD) patterns. The deposited film is polycrystalline and the (002) orientation enhanced upon doping. Additional investigations were carried out to study the effect of electron beam irradiation (e−-irradiation) on the band gap and photoconductivity of both irradiated and unirradiated samples. Both the Al doping and e−-irradiation led to the enhancement of the photoconductivity of prepared materials. This property enables us to tune the properties of materials for various applications by controlling dopant concentrations and e−-irradiation. The dependence of photocurrent on e−-irradiation of Al-ZnO thin films was not reported previously. Therefore, Al-doped polycrystalline nano-ZnO thin film is a promising material for band gap engineering and for the development of solar cells.