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Crystallographic, Spectroscopic and Electrical Study of ZnO:CdO Nanocomposite-Coated Films for Photovoltaic Applications

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Abstract

In this paper, we report structural, optical and electrical properties of wide band gap zinc oxide: cadmium oxide-coated films prepared by cost-effective screen printing technique on glass substrates. Characterizations of the samples were carried out with X-ray diffraction (XRD), UV–Vis spectroscopic analysis. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and two probes for electrical conductivity measurement. The XRD patterns show polycrystalline nature of the films. It was observed that ZnO belongs hexagonal and CdO cubic crystal structures for x = 0 and 1% with a preferred orientation along (101) and (111) direction. While the mixed hexagonal and cubic phases were observed at x = 30%, FTIR spectra show the vibrational bands pertaining to (\(\upnu \) Zn–O and \(\upnu \) Cd–O) stretching modes. Absorption spectroscopy exhibits the direct band gap transition, and optical band gap is decreased from 3.21 to 2.41 eV in ZnO:CdO nanocomposite. The Arrhenius plot of DC conductivity shows semiconductor nature with decreasing of activation energy.

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Acknowledgements

The author Dr. R.A. Zargar expresses sincere thanks and appreciation to the Honorable Vice-Chancellor, Professor Javed Musarrat of Baba Ghulam Shah Badshah University-Rajouri (J&K) for giving me the opportunity of R&D and teaching in the Department of Physics of this peaceful campus. Special thanks goes to Prof. Iqbal Parwez (Dean Academic Affairs) and Dr. Ashfaq Ahmed Zarri (Registrar) of BGSBU for all the moral and technical support throughout this tenure.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physics, Baba Ghulam Shah Badshah University, Rajouri (J & K), 185234, India

    Rayees Ahmad Zargar, Ashaq Hussain Shah & Feroz Ahmad Mir

  2. CSIR-National Physical Laboratory, Dr. K.S. Krishnan Marg, New Delhi, 110012, India

    Manju Arora

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  1. Rayees Ahmad Zargar
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  2. Ashaq Hussain Shah
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  3. Manju Arora
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  4. Feroz Ahmad Mir
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Correspondence to Rayees Ahmad Zargar.

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Zargar, R.A., Shah, A.H., Arora, M. et al. Crystallographic, Spectroscopic and Electrical Study of ZnO:CdO Nanocomposite-Coated Films for Photovoltaic Applications. Arab J Sci Eng 44, 6631–6636 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13369-019-03823-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13369-019-03823-9

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