Fabrication of Cu2ZnSnS4 thin-film solar cell prepared by pulsed laser deposition

A thin-film solar cell based on a CU2ZnSnS4 (CZTS) absorber layer deposited by pulsed laser deposition has been fabricated with an Al:ZnO (n-type) window layer and a US buffer layer. Some peaks attributed to (112), (200), (220), and (312) planes of CZTS appeared in an X-ray diffraction pattern of a thin film. The composition of the film was Sn-rich and the band gap energy was approximately 1.5 eV. A CZTS film annealed at 500 degrees C in an atmosphere of N-2 had optical characteristics suitable for use in an absorber layer of a thin-film solar cell and was used for a solar cell. The CZTS thin-film solar cell with an active area of 0.092 cm(2) showed an open-circuit voltage of 546 mV, a short-circuit current of 6.78 mA/cm(2) a fill factor of 0.48, and a conversion efficiency of 1.74%.