Preparation of Cu2ZnSnS4 thin films by sulfurizing sol-gel deposited precursors

CU2ZnSnS4 (CZTS) thin films were prepared by sulfurizing precursors deposited by the sot-gel method. Copper (II) acetate monohydrate, zinc (II) acetate dihydrate and tin (II) chloride dihydrate were used as the starting materials of the sol-gel method, and 2methoxyethanol and monoethanolamine were used as the solvent and the stabilizer, respectively. The solution was spin coated on soda lime glass substrates and dried at 300 degrees C. The coated glasses were sulfurized by annealing at 500 degrees C in a hydrogen sulfide-containing atmosphere. The annealed thin films showed X-ray diffraction peaks attributed to the single phase CZTS. The chemical composition of the films was almost stoichiometric and the band gap energy was 1.49 eV at room temperature. (C) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.