Applied Chemical Engineering

Study on the physical properties of Cu2ZnSnS4 thin films deposited by pneumatic spray pyrolysis technique

Maykel Courel

Instituto de Energías Renovables, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México

Miriam M. Nicolás

Escuela Superior de Física y Matemáticas-Instituto Politécnico Nacional (IPN)

Osvaldo Vigil-Galán

Instituto de Energías Renovables, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México

DOI: https://doi.org/10.24294/ace.v4i1.652

Keywords: CZTS, Thin Films, Solar Cells, Structural, Morphological, Compositional and Optical Properties

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Abstract

The acquisition of new materials for the manufacturing of high efficiency and low-cost photovoltaic devices has currently become a challenge. Thin films of CuInGaSe and CdTe have been widely used in solar cell of second generation, achieving efficiencies about 20 %; however, the low abundance of In and Te as well as the toxicity of Cd is the primary obstacles to their industrial production. Compounds such as Cu₂ZnSnS₄, Cu₂ZnSnSe₄ and Cu₂ZnSn(SSe)₄ have emerged as an important and less costly alternative for efficient energy conversion in the future. In addition, these compounds have the required characteristics to be used as an absorber material in solar cells (band-gap close to 1.4 eV, an absorption coefficient greater than 10⁴ cm^-1 and a p-type conductivity). In this work, we present a study of the structural, compositional, morphological and optical properties of Cu₂ZnSnS₄ thin films deposited by spray pyrolysis technique as well as their dependence on temperature.

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