Efficient Light Trapping from Nanorod-Like Single-Textured Al-Doped ZnO Transparent Conducting Films

Nanorod-like single-textured Al-doped ZnO (AZO) transparent conducting films were prepared by the simple hydrothermal growth of AZO nanorods on AZO seed layers. The structures, morphologies, optoelectronic properties and light trapping abilities of the AZO films were investigated. The morphological changes of single-textured AZO films depending on growth temperature were shown. Above all, the relation between light trapping abilities and surface morphologies of the single-textured AZO films was studied in detail. The nanorod-like single-textured AZO films prepared at 100 °C exhibited low resistivity, high total transmittance and remarkable enhancement of haze value, which can be acted as transparent electrodes for improving the conversion efficiency of Si-based thin film solar cells.