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Chemical Composition Dependence of Cu2ZnSnS4 Absorbers Fabricated by Sulfurization of Thermal Evaporated Metal Precursors and Solar Cell Performance

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  16 March 2015

Liyuan Zhang ,
Sreejith Karthikeyan ,
Mandip J. Sibakoti  and
Stephen A. Campbell
Liyuan Zhang
Affiliation:
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Minnesota, 200 Union Street SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455, U.S.A.
Sreejith Karthikeyan
Affiliation:
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Minnesota, 200 Union Street SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455, U.S.A.
Mandip J. Sibakoti
Affiliation:
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Minnesota, 200 Union Street SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455, U.S.A.
Stephen A. Campbell
Affiliation:
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Minnesota, 200 Union Street SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455, U.S.A.
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Abstract

We investigate the synthesis of kesterite Cu2ZnSnS4 (CZTS) thin films using thermal evaporation from copper, zinc and tin pellets and post-annealing in a sulfur atmosphere. The effects of chemical composition were studied both on the absorber layer properties and on the final solar cell performance. It is confirmed that CZTS thin film chemical composition affects the carrier concentration profile, which then influences the solar cell properties. Solar cells using a CZTS thin film with composition ratio Cu/(Zn+Sn) = 0.87, and Zn/Sn = 1.24 exhibited an open-circuit voltage of 483 mV, a short-circuit current of 14.54 mA/cm2, a fill factor of 37.66 % and a conversion efficiency of 2.64 %. Only a small deviation from the optimal chemical composition can drop device performance to a lower level, which confirms that the CZTS solar cells with high conversion efficiency existed in a relatively narrow composition region.

Keywords

thin filmphotovoltaicdevices
Type
Articles
Information
MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) , Volume 1738: Symposium V – Sustainable Solar-Energy Conversion Using Earth-Abundant Materials , 2015 , mrsf14-1738-v05-55
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2015 

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References

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