Properties of Sn-doped ZnO Thin Films Elaborated by Solar Spray Pyrolysis for Photovoltaic Applications
| Authors | Abdelbaki Nid1, 2 , 3 , Lilia Zighed1, Yacine Aoun4, Said Benramache5 |
| Affiliations |
1Mechanical Department, Faculty of Technology, University of Skikda, Skikda 21000, Algeria 2LGMM Laboratory, Faculty of Technology, University of Skikda, Skikda 21000, Algeria 3LGCES Laboratory, Faculty of Technology, University of Skikda, Skikda 21000, Algeria 4Mechanical Department, Faculty of Technology, University of El-Oued, El-Oued 39000, Algeria 5Laboratoire des Matériaux, des Énergies et de l’Environnement, University of Biskra 07000, Algeria |
| Е-mail | benramache.said@gmail.com |
| Issue | Volume 18, Year 2026, Number 2 |
| Dates | Received 12 September 2025; revised manuscript received 24 April 2026; published online 29 April 2026 |
| Citation | Abdelbaki Nid, Lilia Zighed, Yacine Aoun, et al., J. Nano- Electron. Phys. 18 No 2, 02035 (2026) |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.21272/jnep.18(2).02038 |
| PACS Number(s) | 07.20.Hy, 73.50.Pz |
| Keywords | Zinc oxide (10) , Thin films (60) , Tin doping ratio, Solar spray pyrolysis, Solar heater. |
| Annotation |
In this experimental work, pure ZnO and tin-doped ZnO (ZnO:Sn) thin films were successfully deposited onto glass substrates using the solar spray pyrolysis technique. The substrates were heated to approximately 400 °C using a solar furnace. The structural, optical, and electrical properties of the prepared Sn-doped ZnO films were investigated at different tin doping concentrations (0, 1, 3, 5, and 7 at. %). X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis revealed that all the films exhibit a polycrystalline hexagonal wurtzite structure with a preferred orientation along the (002) plane. UV-Vis spectroscopic measurements showed that all films possess good optical transparency, with a high transmittance of about 90 % for the film doped with 3 at. % Sn. The optical band gap was found to increase from 3.23 to 3.34 eV with increasing tin content. Electrical measurements indicated that films with tin concentrations below 3 at. % exhibit good electrical conductivity on the order of 2 х 10 – 4 (Ω х cm) – 1. Owing to their high transparency and good electrical conductivity, Sn-doped ZnO thin films are promising candidates for various optoelectronic applications, particularly in dye-sensitized photovoltaic solar cells. |
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