Study of the SnO2 doped TiO2 thin films deposited on porous silicon substrates A Thesis

Abstract

One of the most important goals of the Saudi vision 2030 is the promotion and extended use of renewable energy resources such as photovoltaic cells. A great deal of research is thus focused on the field of solar cells, and this has led to the emergence of new materials and devices that offer distinctive performance advantages. In particular, the choice of suitable materials increases the efficiency of the cell and improves energy conversion yield. Among the current materials of interest, titanium dioxide shows promise due to its strong photocatalytic activity, special properties, and range of applications. In this context, thin film SnO2-doped TiO2 nano-composites were manufactured using a sol-gel technique and deposited on porous silicon under specified experimental conditions with different tin oxide percentages (15, 20, 25, and 30%) at various annealing temperatures (600,700, 800, and 900 °C).This study was undertaken to develop understanding of the effects of heat treatment and doping percentage on the crystalline structure, optical and electrical properties, band gap, and nanoparticle shape and size of the prepared thin films in order to find practical ways to improve these. The specimens were analysed using a range of techniques such as XRD, UV-Vis, SEM, Pl and EIS, all of which showed that the prepared material can be used in high performance photovoltaic cells.