Fabrication of the Cu2ZnSnS4 Thin Film Solar Cell via a Photo-Sintering Technique

Abstract

Alternative photo-sintering techniques for thermal annealing processes are used to improve the morphology, layer properties, and enhance solar cell performance. The fast, nontoxic, low cost, and environmentally friendly characteristics of Cu2ZnSnS4 have led to its consideration as an alternative potential absorber layer in copper indium gallium diselenide thin film solar cells. This work investigates the photo-sintering process for the absorber layer of Cu2ZnSnS4 solar cells. A Cu2ZnSnS4 layer was grown by hot-injection and screen-printing techniques, and the characteristics of the photo-sintered Cu2ZnSnS4 layer were evaluated by X-ray Diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, Energy dispersive X-ray analysis, Ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy, and field emission scanning electron microscopes. Overall, the optimal composition was Cu-poor and Zn-rich, without a secondary phase, estimated optical band-gap energy of approximately 1.6 eV, and enhanced morphology and kesterite crystallization. Using an intensity pulse light technique to the CZTS layer, fabrication of the solar cell device demonstrated successfully, and the efficiency of 1.01% was achieved at 2.96 J/cm2.

Influence of Thermal and Flash-Lamp Annealing on the Thermoelectrical Properties of Cu2ZnSnS4 Nanocrystals Obtained by “Green” Colloidal Synthesis

“…At low annealing energy densities, a slight decrease in surface roughness to 49.1 ± 0.1 nm at 6 J/cm 2 is observed. This fact is consistent with literature data, where FLA with low energy densities was used to sinter individual crystallites to obtain a more homogeneous film [40]. Starting from 8 J/cm 2 and higher, it is observed that the material starts to form "islands", on top of which the roughness value decreases even more, but the overall roughness increases to around 54-56 nm, and the film becomes less homogeneous due to the formation of such islands.…”

Towards Integration of Two-Dimensional Hexagonal Boron Nitride (2D h-BN) in Energy Conversion and Storage Devices

“…Solar photovoltaic technology is considered to be mainstream renewable technology with a great potential to generate clean, reliable, scalable, and affordable electricity [163]. However, from the materials engineering point of view, as regards circuit design, many issues still need to be resolved [164]. In this regard, 2D layered materials have been in the forefront of solar cell industry due to their unique electrical and optical properties [165].…”

Oxygen Aspects in the High-Pressure and High-Temperature Sintering of Semiconductor Kesterite Cu2ZnSnS4 Nanopowders Prepared by a Mechanochemically-Assisted Synthesis Method

“…One of the research targets in nanopowder utilization is its conversion to a more manageable material form, including, for instance, solid layers or compacts made by various methods. With regard to kesterite nanopowders, the term “sintering” has been occasionally and rather misleadingly applied to describe a final stage in a multi-step process starting with either the thin-film deposition of precursors [ 3 , 21 , 22 ] or the cold-pressing of raw powders [ 23 ], followed by thermal annealing at sufficiently high temperatures. Such processing results, first, in solid layers or compacts that are later subjected to temperature-promoted reactions/changes, yielding the target tetragonal kesterite.…”