The effects of indium precursors on the structural, optical and electrical properties of nanostructured thin ZnO films

•Sol-gel derived nanostructured thin IZO films were synthesized.•The properties of IZO thin films are highly affected by kind of the indium precursor.•Highly transparent and conductive IZO thin film has been prepared. The polycrystalline transparent indium doped ZnO thin films (IZO) were deposited on the glass substrate using simple dip coating technique. Different types of indium precursors such as its nitrate, chloride and acetate were used as doping sources to prepare the IZO films. The effects of In precursor on structural, optical and electrical properties of nanostructured thin IZO films were investigated for the first time and compared with pure ZnO thin film. It was found that the type of indium precursors and the nature of the used salts have an important parameter to control the properties of IZO thin films. Experimental results showed that the prepared thin film by using indium nitrate precursor exhibits higher crystallinity and optical transmission with lower resistivity (2.2×10−3Ω.cm−1) in comparison with those films prepared using other precursors and can be useful in fabricating transparent electrodes.