Copper-Zinc-Tin-Sulfur Thin Film Using Spin-Coating Technology

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Thin Film Technology
• Photovoltaics

Background:

• Copper Zinc Tin Sulfide (CZTS) is a promising kesterite semiconductor material for thin-film solar cells.
• Controlling film properties through precursor solution concentrations and annealing is crucial for device performance.
• Heterojunctions with silicon offer a pathway to enhance solar cell efficiency.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the effect of precursor solution concentrations and annealing on CZTS thin film properties.
• To fabricate and characterize a CZTS/Si heterostructured solar cell.
• To evaluate the photovoltaic performance of the fabricated solar cell.

Main Methods:

• Deposition of CZTS thin films on glass substrates via spin-coating.
• Optimization of film crystallinity and morphology through annealing.
• Characterization using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDXS), Raman spectroscopy, and Hall measurements.
• Fabrication of a Mo/p-CZTS/n-Si/Al heterostructured solar cell.

Main Results:

• Precursor solution concentrations influence grain size, optical gap, and elemental composition of CZTS films.
• Annealing temperature and atomic ratios (Cu/(Zn + Sn), Zn/Sn) affect electrical properties.
• The fabricated CZTS/Si solar cell achieved a conversion efficiency of 1.13% with V_oc = 520 mV, J_sc = 3.28 mA/cm², and FF = 66%.

Conclusions:

• Spin-coating and annealing are effective methods for producing CZTS thin films with tunable properties.
• The study demonstrates the potential of CZTS/Si heterostructures for solar cell applications.
• Further optimization is needed to improve the conversion efficiency of CZTS-based solar cells.