Structural properties of Al-doped ZnO thin films deposited by Sol-Gel spin-coating method

Nanostructured Aluminium (Al) doped zinc oxide (ZnO) has been prepared using sol-gel spin-coating method. The annealing temperature was varied and the effect on the surface characteristic of ZnO thin film was studied. The surface topography and morphology of the thin films were characterised using X-ray Diffractometer (XRD), Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) and Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM). The paper reveals the effect of annealing temperature and Al doping on the surface characteristic of ZnO thin film. At optimum annealing temperature with doping, the ZnO thin film was observed to have more porous structure with smaller grain size which might enhance the gas sensing performance.