The current status and future prospects of kesterite solar cells: a brief review

Kesterite-based solar cells are attracting considerable attention in recent years, owing to the reduced toxicity and greater abundance of their constituent elements. In this brief review, we discuss the current status of this important technology by focusing on three key aspects of the device: (i) the interface between the kesterite absorber and the Mo back contact, (ii) the kesterite absorber bulk defects and grain boundaries and (iii) the interface between the kesterite absorber and the buffer layer. By identifying key issues to be addressed, we provide suggestions for their potential improvement and future research. Copyright (C) 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.