Inkjet-Printed Cu₂ZnSn(S, Se)₄ Solar Cells

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Thin Film Technology
• Photovoltaics

Background:

• Advancements in thin film solar cells are crucial for renewable energy.
• Copper indium sulfide (CIS) based materials are promising photovoltaic absorbers.
• Inkjet printing offers a scalable and cost-effective deposition method.

Purpose of the Study:

• To demonstrate copper indium sulfide (Cu-Zn-Sn-S) thin film absorbers fabricated using inkjet printing.
• To analyze the performance limitations of these inkjet-printed thin film solar cells.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of Cu-Zn-Sn-S precursor ink.
• Deposition of thin films via inkjet printing.
• Selenization of the precursor films to form the absorber layer.
• Characterization of the thin film properties and device performance.

Main Results:

• Successful demonstration of Cu-Zn-Sn-S thin film absorbers produced by inkjet printing.
• Identified low fill factor as the primary limitation for device performance.
• Attributed the low fill factor to excessively high series resistance within the device.

Conclusions:

• Inkjet printing is a viable technique for producing Cu-Zn-Sn-S thin film absorbers.
• Reducing series resistance is critical for improving the fill factor and overall efficiency of these solar cells.
• Further research should focus on optimizing processing parameters to mitigate series resistance.