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Growth of nanosheet array and nanosheet microsphere CuInS2 thin films on transparent conducting substrates

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Abstract

CuInS2 (CIS) thin films with controllable nanostructures were directly synthesized on transparent conductive fluorine- doped tin oxide (FTO) glass substrates through a solvothermal process, using the precursors of copper (II) chloride dihydrate, indium (III) nitrate, thiourea, hexadecyl trimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB), oxalic acid, and ethanol. The morphology, crystallographic structure, chemical composition, and optical properties of the CIS thin films were then investigated. The results indicate that CIS thin films with two types of “nanosheet arrays and nanosheet microspheres” can be synthesized by controlling the deposition process parameters. The nanosheets are well-crystallized single crystals with chalcopyrite structures. They exhibit strong absorption in the UV-visible light region and a band gap of 1.51 eV, rendering them suitable for application as the absorber layer of a thin film solar cell. Based on our experimental observations and analysis, we conclude that differences in nucleation and growth mechanism lead to CIS films with various nanostructures.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Materials and Energy, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Functional Soft Condensed Matter, Guangzhou, 510006, China

    Mixue Zhuang, Aixiang Wei, Jun Liu, Yu Zhao & Zhiqiang Yan

Authors
  1. Mixue Zhuang
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  2. Aixiang Wei
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  3. Jun Liu
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  4. Yu Zhao
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  5. Zhiqiang Yan
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Correspondence to Aixiang Wei.

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Zhuang, M., Wei, A., Liu, J. et al. Growth of nanosheet array and nanosheet microsphere CuInS2 thin films on transparent conducting substrates. Electron. Mater. Lett. 10, 1075–1079 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13391-014-4035-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13391-014-4035-4

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