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Solution-based deposition of wurtzite copper zinc tin sulfide nanocrystals as a novel absorber in thin film solar cells

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Abstract

Cu2ZnSnS4 (CZTS) is considered to be one of the most promising absorber materials capable of driving the development of low cost and high performance photovoltaic. Its direct and tunable band gap of 1.4–1.6 eV, high absorption coefficient over 104 cm−1, earth abundant and non-toxic constituents give it a number of advantages and rise it above other thin film absorber materials like polycrystalline cadmium telluride, copper indium diselenide and its combinations with gallium and/or sulfur (Cu(In,Ga)(S,Se)2). In this present study, wurtzite CZTS nanocrystals have been prepared by a sol–gel route associated to spin coating. The CZTS samples have been characterized structurally by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Raman spectroscopy, morphologically by scanning electron microscope (SEM) and optically by a vis spectrophotometer. XRD result and Raman analysis revealed a wurtzite structure. SEM studies showed a condensed surface composed of agglomerated nanocrystals and optical absorption showed a band gap of 1.55 eV suitable for photovoltaic applications.

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Acknowledgments

Joël. H. Nkuissi Tchognia is grateful to the ICTP (The Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics) and ANSOLE (African Network for Solar Energy) for financial support in the framework of the Intra-African Exchange (INEX) program.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. MAC and PM Laboratory, Faculty of Science and Technique, Hassan II University of Casablanca , P.O. Box 146, Bd Yasmina, 20650, Mohammedia, Morocco

    Joël Hervé Nkuissi Tchognia, Youssef Arba, Khalid Dakhsi, Bouchaib Hartiti & Abderraouf Ridah

  2. Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, University of Yaoundé I, P.O. Box 812, Yaoundé, Cameroon

    Joël Hervé Nkuissi Tchognia & Jean-Marie Ndjaka

  3. LMOPS Laboratory, SUPELEC, University of Lorraine, 2 Rue E. Belin, 57070, Metz, France

    Philippe Thevenin

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  1. Joël Hervé Nkuissi Tchognia
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  2. Youssef Arba
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  3. Khalid Dakhsi
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  4. Bouchaib Hartiti
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  5. Jean-Marie Ndjaka
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  6. Abderraouf Ridah
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  7. Philippe Thevenin
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Correspondence to Joël Hervé Nkuissi Tchognia.

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This article is part of the Topical Collection on Advanced Materials for Photonics and Electronics.

Guest Edited by Bouchta Sahraoui, Yahia Boughaleb, Kariem Arof, Anna Zawadzka.

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Nkuissi Tchognia, J.H., Arba, Y., Dakhsi, K. et al. Solution-based deposition of wurtzite copper zinc tin sulfide nanocrystals as a novel absorber in thin film solar cells. Opt Quant Electron 48, 255 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11082-016-0535-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11082-016-0535-9

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