Cobalt Doping Effects on Zinc Oxide Transparent Conducting Thin Films

3 Abstract: Thin films of Zn Co O (0 x 0.2) were fabricated on glass substrates by aerosol assisted (1-x) x chemical vapor deposition (AACVD) method using zinc acetate and cobalt acetate solutions in ethanol at different cobalt (Co) concentrations. Structural and optical properties of the Zn Co O thin films were (1-x) x investigated by varying the cobalt concentration in the doped samples. The X-ray diffraction results confirm the wurtzite hexagonal structure of the pure and Co doped ZnO thin films. Decreasing trend was found in the crystallite size from 9.7 nm for as deposited to 3.8 nm (20% Co concentration sample). The SEM results show smooth and uniform films with the increase of Co concentration. The RBS exhibits the conformation of required stoichiometry of Zn Co O. The energy band gap decreases with the increase of Co doping. UV-VIS (1-x) x spectroscopy shows that the transmission increases from 38% to 75% by increasing the Co concentration.