Self-Alignment of Bottom CZTSSe by Patterning of an Al₂O₃ Intermediate Layer

When CZTSSe is synthesized using a metal precursor, large voids of nonuniform size form at Mo back contact side. Herein, we demonstrate that the voids and CZTSSe in the lower part of the CZTSSe double layer can be controlled by using an Al₂O₃-patterned Mo substrate. The CZTSSe in the lower part self-aligns on the Mo-exposed area, while the voids self-align on the Al₂O₃-coated area. The origin of the self-alignment is expected to be the difference in bonding characteristics between liquid Sn and the metal or oxide surface, e.g., Al₂O₃. Good wettability generally forms between nonreactive liquid metals and metal surfaces due to the strong metallic bonding. By contrast, poor wettability generally forms between nonreactive liquid metals and oxide surfaces due to the weak van der Waals bonding between the liquid metal and the oxide layer. When the patterning was added, the device efficiency tended to decrease from 8.6% to 10.5%.