Abstract
Quaternary compound semiconductor Cu2ZnSnS4 (CZTS), which appears to be a promising candidate for the absorber of a thin film type solar cell, was grown on polycrystalline Ag substrates by electrochemical epitaxial method. The elements were deposited in the following sequence: S/Sn/S/Cu/S/Zn/S/Cu… , the order being one cycle of SnS, one cycle of ZnS and two cycles of CuS. Morphology of the deposit has been characterized by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) with an energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) analyzer. X-ray diffraction (XRD) studies showed a (112) preferred orientation for the deposit. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) of the deposit indicated an approximate ratio 2:1:1:4 of Cu, Zn, Sn, and S, the expected stoichiometry for the deposit, and similar results have been obtained from EDX data. Near IR absorption measurements of the deposit at room temperature indicated a direct band gap of 1.5 eV, and open-circuit potential (OCP) studies indicated a good p-type property, both of which were suitable for fabricating a thin film solar cell.
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Zhang, X., Shi, X., Ye, W. et al. Electrochemical deposition of quaternary Cu2ZnSnS4 thin films as potential solar cell material. Appl. Phys. A 94, 381–386 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00339-008-4815-5
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00339-008-4815-5