Enhancing Photoluminescence and Crystallinity Through Aluminum Doping in Sol–Gel Zinc Oxide Thin Films

This study investigates to see how aluminum (Al) doping affects the optical and photoluminescent properties of sol–gel zinc oxide (ZnO) thin films. The sol–gel method was used to produce Al-doped ZnO films, which were further investigated using X-ray diffraction, UV–VIS spectrophotometry, and photoluminescence studies. According to the findings, increased Al doping concentrations resulted in reduced crystallinity and a blue shift in the UV emission peak, which was ascribed to the Moss-Burstein effect. Al doping prohibited the visible emission band, but higher annealing temperatures enhanced film quality and the UV-to-visible emission ratio. This research looks at the link between Al doping, crystallinity, and photoluminescence in Al-doped ZnO thin films.