Study of a quaternary material of the type Cu₂ZnSnS₄ used in solar cells

Abstract

A novel multi-spray approach was developed and optimized for preparing high-quality Cu₂ZnSnS₄ (CZTS) thin films. Films prepared using this method were systematically compared with those deposited by conventional spray techniques in terms of surface morphology, crystal structure, and photoelectrochemical properties. To determine optimal deposition conditions, films with varying Cu:Zn:Sn:S atomic ratios were investigated. X-ray diffraction (XRD) revealed that phase formation strongly depended on these ratios. Single-phase CZTS films with a preferential (112) orientation were consistently obtained at the stoichiometric ratio (Cu:Zn:Sn:S = 2:1:1:4). All films exhibited relatively high optical transmittance (~50%) in the visible region. Furthermore, comprehensive structural, morphological, and electrochemical characterizations are detailed herein.