Influence of texture on the electrical properties of Al-doped ZnO films prepared by ultrasonic spray pyrolysis

ZnO: Al thin films were deposited by spray pyrolysis onto glass substrates with 0, 0.5, 1.0, 2.0, 5.0 and 10.0% [Al³⁺/Zn²⁺] ratios in the deposition solution. Films were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, UV–vis transmittance, conductive atomic force microscopy and the sheet resistance was measured. Aluminum contents in the films increases with the Al³⁺/Zn²⁺ ratio in the bath while the film deposition rate decreases due to the lower Al³⁺ surface mobility. Films were crystalline and display a varied morphology that evolves from flakes to mixtures between flakes and pencils and finally between triangles and hexagonal columns with increasing Al contents. Al³⁺ inclusion at the different sites within the ZnO lattice is proposed to direct the crystal habit and therefore the observed morphology and film texture. The optical band gap evolution and carrier density are related by the Burstein-Moss effect. The results show that film texture influences carrier mobility: increased presence of (112) planes originate a mobility increase while a predominant (110) or (100) texture reduces it. By Current sensing Atomic Force Microscopy (CAFM) the local surface current distribution was related with the observed film texture.