Solution enhancement for the liable preparation of Cu2ZnSnS4 thin films

• Published in: Journal of materials science. Materials in electronics Vol. 29; no. 7; pp. 6113 - 6118
• Main Authors: Genifer Silvena, G., John, Bincy, Anne Sarah Christinal, R., Chakravarty, Sujay, Leo Rajesh, A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Springer US 01.04.2018; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Carrier density; Characterization and Evaluation of Materials; Chemistry and Materials Science; Copper zinc tin sulfide; Electrical measurement; Electrical properties; Film growth; Hall effect; Materials Science; Optical and Electronic Materials; Optical properties; P-type semiconductors; Photoluminescence; Photovoltaic cells; Roughness; Solar cells; Spray pyrolysis; Thin films
• ISSN: 0957-4522; 1573-482X
• DOI: 10.1007/s10854-018-8587-1

The role of precursor solution is vital in the chemical spray pyrolysis deposition of Cu 2 ZnSnS 4 (CZTS) thin films. The solubility of metal precursors along with organosulfur compound in repetitive conditions is demanding for the preparation of CZTS precursor solution. The regular aqueous solution and a viscous 2-metho solvent were taken for the preparation of CZTS thin films using spray pyrolysis technique. The aqueous and 2-metho films were deposited and characterized to reveal their structural, morphological, optical and electrical properties. The structural studies confirmed the formation of Cu 2 ZnSnS 4 tetragonal phase. The film growth on the surface and the roughness values were analyzed from FESEM and AFM analyses which showed a glut roughness for aqueous film. The optical absorbance showed maximum response in the UV–Visible region with a cut off in the near IR region which is a suitable parameter for absorber layer in thin films solar cells. The photoluminescence spectrum gave an emission peak in the near IR region. The electrical measurement specified a carrier concentration of 1.36 × 10 15 cm −3 for 2-metho film which was higher than the aqueous ones of 1.25 × 10 15 cm −3 . The p-type semiconducting behavior of the material was confirmed from the Hall measurement and the impedance analysis was studied. The V–I measurement gave a linear response and the resistance values of the deposited thin films were calculated.