This work presents as-grown textured ZnO:Al films by rf magnetron sputtering initiated by pre-treatment of glass substrate with mixed argon and oxygen ions. A 650 nm thick of this film exhibits surface texture features with lateral size around 500 nm; the resistivity is below 5 x 10(-4) Omega . cm and the transparency in the near-infrared spectral range is high (>80% at 1000 nm). Microcrystalline silicon thin film solar cells grown on the textured glass exhibit excellent light trapping effect with a short circuit current density of 18.2 mA/cm(2). (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.