Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-r5fsc Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-28T10:21:39.651Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

The effect of additional sulfur on solution-processed pure sulfide Cu2ZnSnS4 solar cell absorber layers

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  08 June 2016

Zhengfei Wei ,
Miao Zhu ,
James D. McGettrick ,
Gabriela P. Kissling ,
Laurence M. Peter  and
Trystan M. Watson
Zhengfei Wei*
Affiliation:
SPECIFIC, College of Engineering, Swansea University, Engineering East, Bay Campus, Swansea, SA1 8EN
Miao Zhu
Affiliation:
SPECIFIC, College of Engineering, Swansea University, Engineering East, Bay Campus, Swansea, SA1 8EN
James D. McGettrick
Affiliation:
SPECIFIC, College of Engineering, Swansea University, Engineering East, Bay Campus, Swansea, SA1 8EN
Gabriela P. Kissling
Affiliation:
Department of Chemistry, University of Bath, Bath, BA2 7AY, UK
Laurence M. Peter
Affiliation:
Department of Chemistry, University of Bath, Bath, BA2 7AY, UK
Trystan M. Watson
Affiliation:
SPECIFIC, College of Engineering, Swansea University, Engineering East, Bay Campus, Swansea, SA1 8EN
*
*(Email: [email protected])
Get access

Abstract

To reduce the amount of chalcogen needed in the post-annealing process, we demonstrate significantly increased sulfur incorporation into pure sulfide CZTS films achieved by increasing the thiourea content of DMSO-based precursor solution. The increase of sulfur content was confirmed by thermogravimetric analyses (TGA). To understand how the elemental distribution across the CZTS layer is affected by extra thiourea, a systematic compositional study was carried out using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). XPS depth profiling reveals increased sulfur incorporation in the final CZTS films when more thiourea is added to the solution. The grain size was reduced slightly with increased sulfur content and the surface morphology was changed significantly. The effect on the surface of the CZTS film has been investigated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Raman spectroscopy, and XPS. External-quantum-efficiency (EQE) measurements with an electrolyte contact were used to investigate the optoelectronic properties of the deposited CZTS films.

Keywords

photovoltaicthin filmS
Type
Articles
Information
MRS Advances , Volume 1 , Issue 41: Energy and Environment , 2016 , pp. 2815 - 2820
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2016 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

Solar Frontier Achieves World Record Thin-Film Solar Cell Efficiency: 22.3% (2015). Avaliable at: http://www.solar-frontier.com/eng/news/2015/C051171.html (accessed on 13 January 2016).Google Scholar
First Solar Builds The Highest Efficiency Thin Film PV Cell On Record (2014).Avaliable at: http://investor.firstsolar.com/releasedetail.cfm?ReleaseID=864426 (accessed on 14 January 2016).Google Scholar
Wang, W., Winkler, M. T., Gunawan, O., Gokmen, T., Todorov, T. K., Zhu, Y., and Mitzi, D. B., “Device Characteristics of CZTSSe Thin-Film Solar Cells with 12.6% Efficiency,” Advanced Energy Materials, vol. 4, pp. n/a-n/a, 2014.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Haass, S. G., Diethelm, M., Werner, M., Bissig, B., Romanyuk, Y. E., and Tiwari, A. N., “11.2% Efficient Solution Processed Kesterite Solar Cell with a Low Voltage Deficit,” Advanced Energy Materials, pp. n/a-n/a, 2015.Google Scholar
Schnabel, T., Abzieher, T., Friedlmeier, T. M., and Ahlswede, E., “Solution-Based Preparation of Cu2ZnSn(S,Se)4 for Solar Cells - Comparison of SnSe2 and Elemental Se as Chalcogen Source,” Photovoltaics, IEEE Journal of, vol. 5, pp. 670–675, 2015.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Xin, H., Vorpahl, S. M., Collord, A. D., Braly, I. L., Uhl, A. R., Krueger, B. W., Ginger, D.S. and Hillhouse, H.W. “Lithium-doping inverts the nanoscale electric field at the grain boundaries in Cu2ZnSn(S,Se)4 and increases photovoltaic efficiency,” Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics, 2015.Google Scholar
Jiang, F., Ikeda, S., Tang, Z., Minemoto, T., Septina, W., Harada, T. and Matsumura, M. “Impact of alloying duration of an electrodeposited Cu/Sn/Zn metallic stack on properties of Cu2ZnSnS4 absorbers for thin-film solar cells,” Progress in Photovoltaics: Research and Applications, pp. n/a-n/a, 2015.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Woo, K., Kim, Y., and Moon, J., “A non-toxic, solution-processed, earth abundant absorbing layer for thin-film solar cells,” Energy & Environmental Science, vol. 5, pp. 5340–5345, 2012 Google Scholar
Oueslati, S., Brammertz, G., Buffière, M., ElAnzeery, H., Touayar, O., Köble, C., Bekaert, J., Meuris, M., and Poortmans, J. “Physical and electrical characterization of high-performance Cu2ZnSnSe4 based thin film solar cells,” Thin Solid Films, vol. 582, pp. 224–228, 5/1/ 2015.Google Scholar
Werner, M., Keller, D., Haass, S. G., Gretener, C., Bissig, B., Fuchs, P., Mattina, F. L., Erni, R., Romanyukm, Y. E. and Tiwari, A. N. “Enhanced Carrier Collection from CdS Passivated Grains in Solution-Processed Cu2ZnSn(S,Se)4 Solar Cells,” ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, vol. 7, pp. 12141–12146, 2015.Google Scholar
Uhl, A. R., Katahara, J. K., and Hillhouse, H. W., “Molecular-ink route to 13.0% efficient low-bandgap CuIn(S,Se)2 and 14.7% efficient Cu(In,Ga)(S,Se)2 solar cells,” Energy & Environmental Science, vol. 9, pp. 130–134, 2016.Google Scholar
Chaisitsak, S., Yamada, A., and Konagai, M., “Preferred Orientation Control of Cu(In1- xGax)Se2(x≈0.28) Thin Films and Its Influence on Solar Cell Characteristics,” Japanese Journal of Applied Physics, vol. 41, p. 507, 2002.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Carter, N. J., Mainz, R., Walker, B. C., Hages, C. J., Just, J., Klaus, M., Schmidt, S. S., Weber, A., Yang, W-C. D, Zander, O., Stach, E. A., Unold, T. and Agrawal, R., “The role of interparticle heterogeneities in the selenization pathway of Cu-Zn-Sn-S nanoparticle thin films: a real-time study,” Journal of Materials Chemistry C, vol. 3, pp. 7128–7134, 2015.Google Scholar
Adchi, S., “Physical Properties: Compiled Experimental Data,” in Copper Zinc Tin Sulfide-Based Thin Film Solar Cells, Ito, K., Ed., ed: John Wiley & Sons. Ltd, 2015.Google Scholar
Sharma, A. K., Agarwal, S. K., and Singh, S. N., “Determination of front surface recombination velocity of silicon solar cells using the short-wavelength spectral response,” Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells, vol. 91, pp. 1515–1520, 2007.CrossRefGoogle Scholar