Skip to main content
Disciplines
Automotive Business IT + Informatics Construction + Real Estate Electrical Engineering + Electronics Energy + Sustainability Insurance + Risk Finance + Banking Management + Leadership Marketing + Sales Mechanical Engineering + Materials
DE
EN
Books
Journals
Events
Topic Page
Marketing
Log in
Learn more about individual access
Request company access
13th International Engine Congress 2026 | 24 + 25 February 2026

Meeting Place for the Powertrain and Sustainable Fuels Community

Take part as a speaker in the 13th International Engine Congress 2026, the Meeting Place for the Powertrain, and Sustainable Fuels Community for the exchange of experience. Submit a subject proposal online about our main subject areas: Passenger car engine technology, Commercial vehicle engine technology and Sustainable Fuels & Energy!
EXTENDED SEARCH
Log in
Top
Journal of Materials Science: Materials in Electronics
Published in:

20-06-2016

Kesterite based thin film absorber layers from ball milled precursors

Authors: Bhagyashree Pani, Sujit Pillai, Udai P. Singh

Published in: Journal of Materials Science: Materials in Electronics | Issue 12/2016

Log in

Activate our intelligent search to find suitable subject content or patents.

search-config
loading …

Abstract

The existing thin film technology involves rare earth and toxic materials. Cu2ZnSnS4, its selenide and sulfo selenide analogues have acquired as the most promising alternate absorber material group in thin film technology due to the abundance and non toxic constituent elements. We present a facile, green and low cost method for synthesis of CZTS/(Se) films. Precursor powders using Cu, Zn, Sn, S and Se, was prepared by ball milling. Starting with ball milled metallic precursor powders we synthesized kieserite thin films by doctor blade coating process and subsequent annealing. Doctor blade coating method is one of the cheapest non toxic non vacuum based chemical deposition processes. A comparative study of ball milled powder and films prepared from the precursors has been presented and interesting aspects of structure, morphology and composition were explored after ball milling, and films formed after annealing. Chalcogens (S or Se) plays an important role in the construction of tetragonal phase. A combined TGA–DSC, X-ray diffraction, Raman, TEM, EDX and UV–Vis–NIR study showed marked change in film property after annealing.
previous article Substrate temperature dependent structural, optical, morphology and electrical properties of RF sputtered CdTe thin films for solar cell application
next article Role of phosphine free solvents in structural and morphological properties of CuInSe2 nanoparticles

Dont have a licence yet? Then find out more about our products and how to get one now:

Springer Professional "Wirtschaft+Technik"

Online-Abonnement

Mit Springer Professional "Wirtschaft+Technik" erhalten Sie Zugriff auf:

  • über 102.000 Bücher
  • über 537 Zeitschriften

aus folgenden Fachgebieten:

  • Automobil + Motoren
  • Bauwesen + Immobilien
  • Business IT + Informatik
  • Elektrotechnik + Elektronik
  • Energie + Nachhaltigkeit
  • Finance + Banking
  • Management + Führung
  • Marketing + Vertrieb
  • Maschinenbau + Werkstoffe
  • Versicherung + Risiko

Jetzt Wissensvorsprung sichern!

inform now

Springer Professional "Technik"

Online-Abonnement

Mit Springer Professional "Technik" erhalten Sie Zugriff auf:

  • über 67.000 Bücher
  • über 390 Zeitschriften

aus folgenden Fachgebieten:

  • Automobil + Motoren
  • Bauwesen + Immobilien
  • Business IT + Informatik
  • Elektrotechnik + Elektronik
  • Energie + Nachhaltigkeit
  • Maschinenbau + Werkstoffe




 

Jetzt Wissensvorsprung sichern!

inform now

Springer Professional "Wirtschaft"

Online-Abonnement

Mit Springer Professional "Wirtschaft" erhalten Sie Zugriff auf:

  • über 67.000 Bücher
  • über 340 Zeitschriften

aus folgenden Fachgebieten:

  • Bauwesen + Immobilien
  • Business IT + Informatik
  • Finance + Banking
  • Management + Führung
  • Marketing + Vertrieb
  • Versicherung + Risiko




Jetzt Wissensvorsprung sichern!

inform now
Literature
1.
S.R. Kodigala, in Thin Film Solar Cells from Earth Abundant Materials: Growth and Characterization of Cu 2 (ZnSn)(SSe) 4 Thin Films and Their Solar Cells. Fabrication and Characterization of Cu2ZnSn(S1−xSex)4 Thin-Film Solar Cells, chap. 5, 1st edn. (Elsevier, 2013), pp. 141–171
2.
S.R. Kodigala, in Thin Film Solar Cells from Earth Abundant Materials: Growth and Characterization of Cu 2 (ZnSn)(SSe) 4 Thin Films and Their Solar Cells. Growth of Quaternary and Pentanary Cu2ZnSn(S1−xSex)4 Absorbers, chap. 3, 1st edn. (Elsevier, 2013), pp. 37–65
3.
K.L. Chopra, P.D. Paulson, V. Dutta, Thin-film solar cells: an overview. Prog. Photovolt. Res. Appl. 12, 69–92 (2004)CrossRef
4.
S. Abermann, Non-vacuum processed next generation thin film photovoltaics: towards marketable efficiency and production of CZTS based solar cells. Sol. Energy 94, 37–70 (2013)CrossRef
5.
S. Siebentritt, S. Schorr, Kesterites—a challenging material for solar cells. Prog. Photovolt. Res. Appl. 20, 512–519 (2012)CrossRef
6.
W. Wang, M.T. Winkler, O. Gunawan, T. Gokmen, T.K. Todorov, Y. Zhu, D.B. Mitzi, Device characteristics of CZTSSe thin-film solar cells with 12.6% efficiency. Adv. Energy Mater. 4, 1301465 (2014)CrossRef
7.
T. Kato, N. Sakai, H. Sugimoto, Efficiency improvement of Cu2ZnSn (S, Se) 4 submodule with graded bandgap and reduced backside ZnS segregation. 40th Photovoltaic Specialists Conference (PVSC), IEEE, 0844–0846 (2014)
8.
I. Repinsa, C. Bealla, N. Voraa, C. DeHarta, D. Kuciauskasa, P. Dippoa, B. Toa, J. Manna, W.-C. Hsub, A. Goodricha, R. Noufia, Co-evaporated Cu2ZnSnSe4 films and devices. Sol. Energy Mater. Sol. Cells 101, 154–159 (2012)CrossRef
9.
D.B. Mitzi, O. Gunawan, T.K. Todorov, K. Wang, S. Guha, The path towards a high-performance solution-processed kesterite solar cell. Sol. Energy Mater. Sol. Cells 95(2011), 1421–1436 (2011)CrossRef
10.
V.A. Akhavan, B.W. Goodfellow, M.G. Panthani, C. Steinhagen, T.B. Harvey, C.J. Stolle, B.A. Korgel, Colloidal CIGS and CZTS nanocrystals: a precursor route to printed photovoltaics. J. Solid State Chem. 189, 2–12 (2012)CrossRef
11.
S. Chen, A. Walsh, J.-H. Yang, X.G. Gong, L. Sun, P.-X. Yang, J.-H. Chu, S.H. Wei, Compositional dependence of structural and electronic properties of Cu2ZnSn (S, Se) 4 alloys for thin film solar cells. Phys. Rev. B 83, 125201 (2011)CrossRef
12.
H. Xiea, M. Dimitrievska, X. Fontané, Y. Sánchez, S. López-Marino, V. Izquierdo-Roca, V. Bermúdez, A. Pérez-Rodrígueza, E. Saucedo, Formation and impact of secondary phases in Cu-poor Zn-rich Cu2ZnSn(S1−ySey)4 (0 ≤ y≤1) based solar cells. Sol. Energy Mater. Sol. Cells 140, 289–298 (2015)CrossRef
13.
C. Li, B. Yao, Y. Li, Z. Xiao, Z. Ding, H. Zhao, L. Zhang, Z. Zhang, Fabrication, characterization and application of Cu2ZnSn (S, Se) 4 absorber layer via a hybrid ink containing ball milled powders. J. Alloy. Compd. 643, 152–158 (2015)CrossRef
14.
T. Schnabel, M. Löw, E. Ahlswede, Vacuum-free preparation of 7.5% efficient Cu2ZnSn (S, Se) 4 solar cells based on metal salt precursors. Sol. Energy Mater. Sol. Cells 117, 324–328 (2013)CrossRef
15.
T.S. Shyju, S. Anandhi, R. Suriakarthick, R. Gopalakrishnan, P. Kuppusami, Mechanosynthesis, deposition and characterization of CZTS and CZTSe materials for solar cell applications. J. Solid State Chem. 227, 165–177 (2015)CrossRef
16.
C.-J. Hsu, H.-S. Duan, W. Yang, H. Zhou, Y. Yang, Benign solutions and innovative sequential annealing processes for high performance Cu2ZnSn (Se, S) 4 photovoltaics. Adv. Energy Mater. 4, 1301278 (2014)CrossRef
17.
B. Flynn, W. Wang, C.-H. Chang, G.S. Herman, Microwave assisted synthesis of Cu2ZnSnS4 colloidal nanoparticle inks. Phys. Status Solidi A 209(11), 2186–2194 (2012)CrossRef
18.
K. Woo, Y. Kim, J. Moon, A non-toxic, solution-processed, earth abundant absorbing layer for thin-film solar cells. Energy Environ. Sci. 5, 5340 (2012)CrossRef
19.
Y. Liu, M. Ge, Y. Yue, Y. Sun, Y. Wu, X. Chen, N. Dai, Colloidal Cu2ZnSnS4 nanocrystals generated by a facile route using ethylxanthate molecular precursors. Phys. Status Solidi RRL 5(3), 113–115 (2011)CrossRef
20.
C. Wang, C. Zhu, T. Zhang, Preparation and characterization of Cu2ZnSn (S, Se) 4 thin film as photovoltaic absorber material for solar cells. Mater. Lett. 108, 62–64 (2013)CrossRef
21.
Z. Sebouia, A. Gassoumia, Y. Cuminalb, N. Kamoun-Turkia, Effect of annealing process on the properties of Cu2ZnSnS4 thin films. Superlattices Microstruct. 75, 586–592 (2014)CrossRef
22.
S.M. Lee, Y.S. Cho, Characteristics of Cu2ZnSnSe4 and Cu2ZnSn (Se, S) 4 absorber thin films prepared by post selenization and sequential sulfurization of co-evaporated Cu–Zn–Sn precursors. J. Alloy. Compd. 579(2013), 279–283 (2013)CrossRef
23.
P.M.P. Saloméa, J. Malaquias, P.A. Fernandes, M.S. Ferreira, A.F. da Cunha, J.P. Leitão, J.C. Gonzálezc, F.M. Matinag, Growth and characterization of Cu2ZnSn (S, Se) 4 thin films for solar cells. Sol. Energy Mater. Sol. Cells 101, 147–153 (2012)CrossRef
24.
K. Woo, K. Kim, Z. Zhong, I. Kim, Y. Oh, S. Jeong, J. Moon, Non-toxic ethanol based particulate inks for low temperature processed Cu2ZnSn(S, Se)4 solar cells without S/Se treatment. Sol. Energy Mater. Sol. Cells 128, 362–368 (2014)CrossRef
25.
K.V. Gurav, S.W. Shin, U.M. Patil, M.P. Suryawanshi, S.M. Pawar, M.G. Gang, S.A. Vanalakar, J.H. Yun, J.H. Kim, Improvement in the properties of CZTSSe thin films by selenizing single-step electrodeposited CZTS thin films. J. Alloy. Compd. 631, 178–182 (2015)CrossRef
26.
A.E. Zaghi, M. Buffière, G. Brammertze, M. Batuk, N. Lenaers, B. Knikni, J. Hadermann, M. Meurise, J. Poortmans, J. Vleugels, Mechanical synthesis of high purity Cu–In–Se alloy nanopowder as precursor for printed CISe thin film solar cells. Adv. Powder Technol. 25, 1254–1261 (2014)CrossRef
27.
Z. Chen, L. Han, L. Wan, C. Zhang, H. Niu, J. Xu, Cu2ZnSnSe4 thin films prepared by selenization of co-electroplated Cu–Zn–Sn precursors. Appl. Surf. Sci. 257, 8490–8492 (2011)CrossRef
28.
Q.-Y. Wen, Y. Li, J. Wang, J.-J. Yan, C.-W. Wang, Growth of void-free Cu2ZnSn (S, Se) 4 thin film by selenization Cu2ZnSnS4 precursor film from ethylene glycol-based solution. Superlattices Microstruct. (2015). doi:10.​1016/​j.​spmi.​2015.​05.​023
29.
G. Chen, C. Yuan, J. Liu, Y. Deng, G. Jiang, W. Liu, C. Zhu, Low cost preparation of Cu2ZnSnS4 and Cu2ZnSn (SxSe1−x) 4 from binary sulfide nanoparticles for solar cell application. J. Power Sour. 262, 201–206 (2014)CrossRef
Metadata
Title
Kesterite based thin film absorber layers from ball milled precursors
Authors
Bhagyashree Pani
Sujit Pillai
Udai P. Singh
Publication date
20-06-2016
Publisher
Springer US
Published in
Journal of Materials Science: Materials in Electronics / Issue 12/2016
Print ISSN: 0957-4522
Electronic ISSN: 1573-482X
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10854-016-5205-y

Other articles of this Issue 12/2016

Effect of copper inclusion on structural, optical and electrical properties of ZnO thin films

Effect of activated carbon on electrochemical and photocatalytic performance of hydrothermally synthesized zinc stannate nanoparticles

Effect of multiple defects and substituted impurities on the band structure of graphene: a DFT study

Preparation and charactrization of photonic LiNbO3 generated from mixing of new raw materials using spry pyrolysis method

Study on the physics and dielectric property of Al2O3–B2O3–SiO2/Al2O3 glass + ceramic

Synthesis and microwave absorption enhancement of polyaniline/SrFe12O19/hollow glass microsphere composite with core–shell structure