Transparent and conductive mixtures of ITO-ZnO and ITO-ZnO:Al have been deposited by a combinatorial pulsed laser deposition on Si and quartz substrates. Measurements of the In to Zn ratios along the transversal axis of the substrates were performed using energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy. From simulations of the x-ray reflectivity spectra, collected with a 2 mm mask on different locations along the transversal axis of the samples, the density and thickness of the deposited films were calculated and then the In to Zn ratios. The crystalline structure and electrical properties of the deposited films were also investigated along the same axis. Changes in the ratio of In/Zn along this axis resulted in changes of the lattice constant, texture, optical and electrical properties of the films. By changing the In to Zn ration we could tailor the properties of the transparent electrode and found ways to partially replace the more expensive ITO material with ZnO.

The crystalline structure, composition, chemical bonding and thermal stability of HfO2-Al2O3 mixtures deposited on Si using a combinatorial pulsed laser deposition technique were investigated. After deposition some films were annealed at temperatures from 850 to 950 °C for 6 or 12 minutes. Grazing incidence x-ray diffraction investigations were performed to asses the crystallinity and thermal stability of the annealed layers. Measurements of the Al to Hf ratios were performed using energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. From simulations of the x-ray reflectivity and spectroscopic ellipsometry spectra the phase composition and thickness of the films was calculated and then the Al to Hf ratios. Al/Hf values of 1 and 8 were found to be necessary to block the crystallization of the films after anneals at 850 and 950 °C, respectively.

Structural, electrical and optical characterizations of nanostructured ZnO thin films used as photosensitized electrodes in photovoltaic cells applications are reported. Nanostructured ZnO thin films were deposited on optical glass substrates by pulsed-laser deposition (PLD), their structure and morphology being optimized for photovoltaic applications. Structural analysis of the samples by X-ray diffraction revealed that the films consist of a hexagonal-close-packed wurtzite type phase ZnO, (001) preferentially oriented in the growth direction. The ZnO films are highly transparent in visible region of solar spectrum, and exhibit electrical resistivities in the range 10-4 - 10-2Ω.m