Influence of Sulfur Content on Cu₂ZnSnS₄Thin Film Formation

Abstract

A Cu₂ZnSnS₄(CZTS) film was formed by the sulfurization of Cu(Zn, Sn) (CZT) alloy precursors. The sulfurization was performed in evacuated and sealed quartz ampoules with various amount of supplied sulfur powder. The crystallization of the CZTS films as a function of the sulfur content was determined based on X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns. The XRD analysis indicated that the Cu-Sn/Zn metal precursor was crystallized with various secondary phases, such as ZnS, Cu₂S, Cu₃Sn, Cu₂SnS₃, and Cu₂SnS₇. We also found that the energy gap of CZTS absorber was 1.48–1.51 eV.

Keywords:

• Band gap energy
• Cu₂ZnSnS₄
• CZTS
• photovoltaics
• solar cell
• sulfurization

Acknowledgment

This study was supported by the Daegu University Research Grant, 2012.