Original Paper

New routes to sustainable photovoltaics: evaluation of Cu2ZnSnS4 as an alternative absorber material

  1. Jonathan J. Scragg1,
  2. Philip J. Dale1,3,
  3. Laurence M. Peter,
  4. Guillaume Zoppi2,
  5. Ian Forbes2

Article first published online: 21 JUL 2008

DOI: 10.1002/pssb.200879539

Issue

physica status solidi (b)

physica status solidi (b)

Special Issue: Solar Energetics: From Photovoltaics to Water Splitting

Volume 245, Issue 9, pages 1772–1778, September 2008

Additional Information

How to Cite

Scragg, J. J., Dale, P. J., Peter, L. M., Zoppi, G. and Forbes, I. (2008), New routes to sustainable photovoltaics: evaluation of Cu2ZnSnS4 as an alternative absorber material. Phys. Status Solidi B, 245: 1772–1778. doi: 10.1002/pssb.200879539

Author Information

  1. 1

    Department of Chemistry, University of Bath, Bath BA2 7AY, United Kingdom

  2. 2

    Northumbria Photovoltaics Applications Centre, Ellison Building, Northumbria University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 8ST, United Kingdom

  3. 3

    Present address: Laboratoire Photovoltaïque, Université du Luxembourg. Campus Limpertsberg, BS 1.1.7, 162a, avenue de la Faïencerie, 1511 Luxembourg

Publication History

  1. Issue published online: 21 AUG 2008
  2. Article first published online: 21 JUL 2008
  3. Manuscript Accepted: 5 JUN 2008
  4. Manuscript Revised: 3 JUN 2008
  5. Manuscript Received: 19 FEB 2008

Funded by

  • EPSRC

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Keywords:

  • 73.61.Lq;
  • 78.66.Li;
  • 81.15.Pq;
  • 82.45.Qr;
  • 82.47.Jk;
  • 84.60.Jt

Abstract

Thin film heterojunction solar cells based on chalcopyrites such as Cu(In,Ga)Se2 have achieved impressive efficiencies. However concern about the long term sustainability of photovoltaics based on scarce or expensive raw materials has prompted the search for alternative absorber materials. In this work, films of the p-type absorber Cu2ZnSnS4 (CZTS) were prepared by electroplating metallic precursors sequentially onto a molybdenum-coated glass substrate followed by an nealing in a sulfur atmosphere. The polycrystalline CZTS films were characterized by photoelectrochemical methods, which showed films were p-type with doping densities of the order of 1016 cm–3 and a band gap of 1.49 eV, close to the optimum value for terrestrial solar energy conversion. Preliminary results obtained for solar cells fabricated with this material are promising. (© 2008 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

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