ORIGINAL ARTICLE
Sputtered TiO₂-Al₂O₃ Multilayer Coatings as Transparent Anti-Soiling Solutions for solar Photovoltaics in Humid--Arid Regions
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Department of Materials Science and Engineering, King Fahd University of Petroleum & Minerals
2
Chemistry Department,, King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, Dhahran, 31261, Saudi Arabia., Saudi Arabia
Submission date: 2025-12-04
Final revision date: 2026-02-02
Acceptance date: 2026-05-03
Publication date: 2026-09-07
Corresponding author
Amir Al-Ahmed
Chemistry Department,, King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, Dhahran, 31261, Saudi Arabia., Saudi Arabia
Journal of Undergraduate Research International 2026;2(2):158-163
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ABSTRACT
Under the backdrop of Saudi Vision 2030, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is expanding its solar energy sector. However, soiling and
high humidity in coastal arid regions such as Dhahran considerably reduce photovoltaic (PV) module efficiency. This study was
aimed at investigating the deposition and optimization of multilayer anti-soiling coatings fabricated using reactive DC magnetron
sputtering to mitigate dust accumulation on solar panel surfaces. Three thin-film configurations were deposited on glass substrates:
a TiO2 monolayer, a TiO2/Al2O3 bilayer, and a TiO2/Al2O3/TiO2 sandwich structure. The samples were annealed at temperatures
ranging from 100 to 400 ° C and characterized in terms of optical transmittance, surface wettability, and field durability. The results
demonstrate that the layer configuration considerably influences the coating performance. The bilayer film annealed at 200 ° C
exhibits the optimal light transmission and higher water contact angle of 66°. Overall, this study presents a transparent and durable
coating solution to mitigate soiling losses in humid and arid climates.