Fabrication of Cu2ZnSnS4 solar cells with 5.1% efficiency via thermal decomposition and reaction using a non-toxic sol–gel route

Zhenghua Su; Kaiwen Sun; Zili Han; Hongtao Cui; Fangyang Liu; Yanqing Lai; Jie Li; Xiaojing Hao; Yexiang Liu; Martin A. Green

doi:10.1039/C3TA13533K

Fabrication of Cu₂ZnSnS₄ solar cells with 5.1% efficiency via thermal decomposition and reaction using a non-toxic sol–gel route†

Zhenghua Su,^a Kaiwen Sun,^a Zili Han,^a Hongtao Cui,^b Fangyang Liu,*^ab Yanqing Lai,^a Jie Li,^a Xiaojing Hao,*^b Yexiang Liu^a and Martin A. Green^b

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* Corresponding authors

^a School of Metallurgy and Environment, Central South University, Changsha 410083, China
E-mail: liufangyang@csu.edu.cn

^b School of Photovoltaic and Renewable Energy Engineering, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
E-mail: xj.hao@unsw.edu.au

Abstract

Earth-abundant Cu₂ZnSnS₄ (CZTS) has been confirmed as a promising semiconductor material for thin film solar cells. To meet the requirements of high-efficiency and low-cost for photovoltaic technologies, a modified thermal decomposition sol–gel method with low-cost and low-toxicity for CZTS thin film preparation is presented, and the detailed formation mechanism of the thin film is investigated to obtain an optimized process. By introducing non-aqueous thiourea–metal–oxygen sol–gel processing, as well as applying extrinsic dopants and chemical etching, high-quality and phase-controlled CZTS thin films with homogeneous elemental distribution and a low impurity content have been synthesized. Based on the modified sol–gel method, solar cells with a structure of Ni:Al/ZAO/i-ZnO/CdS/CZTS/Mo/glass have been fabricated, and a power conversion efficiency of 5.10% is obtained, indicating its potential for high-throughput and high power conversion efficiency photovoltaic devices.

Journal of Materials Chemistry A

Fabrication of Cu₂ZnSnS₄ solar cells with 5.1% efficiency via thermal decomposition and reaction using a non-toxic sol–gel route†

Abstract

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Fabrication of Cu₂ZnSnS₄ solar cells with 5.1% efficiency via thermal decomposition and reaction using a non-toxic sol–gel route

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Journal of Materials Chemistry A