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The effect of indium doping on photovoltaic properties of chemically synthesized zinc oxide thin-film electrodes

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Abstract

Photovoltaic (PV) performance of chemically synthesized indium-doped zinc oxide (IZO) nanorod electrodes has been investigated by photocurrent density-voltage (J-V). The indium (In) concentration was varied from 2 to 6 at.% for IZO. The J-V measurements as performed under a dark condition and a simulated white light of 80 mW/cm2 confirmed increase in PV performance with the IZO electrodes, making a peak with the 4 at.% In concentration. The investigated properties of the synthesized In-doped ZnO nanorod electrodes (structural and optical) strongly agreed with the PV results and well support the enhanced PV performance of the IZO electrodes. This clearly indicates that IZO electrodes would be preferred against undoped ones in PV solar cell application.

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Acknowledgements

M.D. Tyona appreciates Thin Film Physics Laboratory, Department of Physics, Shivaji University, Kolhapur, India for Laboratory facilities. We thank Benue State University, Makurdi, Nigeria for funding. F.I greatly acknowledged TETFUND for their support.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physics, Benue State University, Makurdi, 970001, Nigeria

    M. D. Tyona

  2. Department of Physics, Savitribai Phule Pune University, Pune, MS, 416007, India

    S. B. Jambure

  3. Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, 91002, Nigeria

    R. U. Osuji & Fabian I. Ezema

  4. UNESCO-UNISA Africa Chair in Nanosciences/Nanotechnology, College of Graduate Studies, University of South Africa (UNISA), Muckleneuk ridge, P.O. Box 392, Pretoria, South Africa

    R. U. Osuji, M. Maaza & Fabian I. Ezema

  5. Department of Physics, D Y Patil University, Kolhapur, MS, 416004, India

    C. D. Lokhande

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  1. M. D. Tyona
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  2. S. B. Jambure
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  3. R. U. Osuji
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  4. M. Maaza
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  5. C. D. Lokhande
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  6. Fabian I. Ezema
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Correspondence to M. D. Tyona.

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Research Highlights

• Highly oriented peaks were seen in the c-axis (002) for every sample

•In doping induces tremendous red-shift in absorption edges up to 540 nm

•In doping causes lowering of band gap energy from 3.15 to 2.92 eV

•IZO micrographs show randomly oriented nanorod morphology

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Tyona, M.D., Jambure, S.B., Osuji, R.U. et al. The effect of indium doping on photovoltaic properties of chemically synthesized zinc oxide thin-film electrodes. J Solid State Electrochem 24, 313–320 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10008-019-04438-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10008-019-04438-8

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