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Kesterite based thin film absorber layers from ball milled precursors

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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.

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Acknowledgments

This work is supported by the project #DST/TM/SERI/2K11/42 funded by Department of Science and Technology (DST), New Delhi. The Authors would like to thank Dr. N. B. Chaure, (University of Pune) for TEM characterization. The authors are also thankful to Prof. K. T. Ramakrishna Reddy (S. V. University, Tirupati) for his support with Raman scattering measurements.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Applied Science, KIIT University, Bhubaneswar, 751024, India

    Bhagyashree Pani

  2. Moserbaer India Ltd., KIIT University, Bhubaneswar, 751024, India

    Sujit Pillai

  3. School of Electronics Engineering, KIIT University, Bhubaneswar, 751024, India

    Udai P. Singh

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  1. Bhagyashree Pani
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  2. Sujit Pillai
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Correspondence to Udai P. Singh.

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Pani, B., Pillai, S. & Singh, U.P. Kesterite based thin film absorber layers from ball milled precursors. J Mater Sci: Mater Electron 27, 12412–12417 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10854-016-5205-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10854-016-5205-y

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