Fabrication of Cu₂ZnSnS₄ Thin-Film Solar Cell Prepared by Pulsed Laser Deposition

Abstract

A thin-film solar cell based on a Cu 2 ZnSnS 4 (CZTS) absorber layer deposited by pulsed laser deposition has been fabricated with an Al:ZnO (n-type) window layer and a CdS buffer layer. Some peaks attributed to ( 112), ( 200), ( 220), and (312) planes of CZTS appeared in an X-ray diffraction pattern of a thin film. The composition of the film was Sn-rich and the band gap energy was approximately 1.5 eV. A CZTS film annealed at 500 C in an atmosphere of N 2 had optical characteristics suitable for use in an absorber layer of a thin-film solar cell and was used for a solar cell. The CZTS thin-film solar cell with an active area of 0.092 cm 2 showed an open-circuit voltage of 546 mV, a short-circuit current of 6.78 mA/cm 2 , a fill factor of 0.48, and a conversion efficiency of 1.74%.

Single step electrosynthesis of Cu2ZnSnS4 (CZTS) thin films for solar cell application

“…A various physical and chemical techniques like, atom beam sputtering [1], hybrid sputtering [2], RF magnetron sputtering [3], thermal evaporation [4], pulsed laser deposition [5,6], sulfurization of electron-beam-evaporated precursors [7,8], spray pyrolysis [9,10], sol-gel sulfurizing method [11], etc. have been used for the synthesis of CZTS thin films for solar cell applications.…”

One-Step Electrodeposition of CZTS for Solar Cell Absorber Layer

“…Sputtering by atomic beam [2] Sputtering by radio frequency magnetron [4,5] Sulphurization of either electron-beam-evaporated or electrodeposited precursors [6,7] Photochemical deposition [8] Spray pyrolysis [9] Pulsed laser deposition [10,11] Sol-gel sulphurization [12] Chemical synthesis [13,14] Review on non-vacuum processes to fabricate thin films of CZTS with kesterite structure and composition has been published [15] …”

The AACVD of CFTS Family of Materials

“…The solubility of iron in the CZTS derivatives plays a key role in controlling many parameters. 3 Many techniques including spray pyrolysis, 4 sputtering, 5 hybrid sputtering, 6 sulfurization, 7 photo chemical deposition, 8 sol-gel sulferisation, 9 pulsed laser deposition, 10 thermal evaporation, 11 sol-gel spin coating 12 and spray pyrolysis have been used to deposit CZTS thin films. 13 A solution based synthesis of CFTS was reported recently using metal salts and sulfur in hot oleylamine to produce the Stannite phase of CFTS nanocrystals with particles of diameter between 15-25 nm .…”