ON THE FORMATION OF CZTS (CU2ZNSNS4) BASED FILMS FOR PHOTOVOLTAIC APPLICATIONS

Abstract

To achieve a growth of CZTS (Cu2ZnSnS4) based films for photovoltaic applications, the phase stability issues, including thermal decomposition and secondary phase segregation, were carefully studied. Kinetic and thermodynamic analyses were employed to understand the chemical insights in the phase changes during film formation. The annealing temperature and pressure and metal compositions were found to have significant influences on the film growth. In addition, a study on the film growth with respect to sulfur contents in precursors was conducted and their effects on the interface and mechanical performances were also demonstrated. According to the experimental observations and theoretical indications, film formation models were proposed to describe the reactions and phase developments in the CZTS based film growth. Finally, CZTS based films were successfully prepared and used to fabricate photovoltaic devices.