CuInS2 films for photovoltaic applications deposited by a low-cost method

We report an atmospheric-pressure deposition method for preparing well-adhered and compact CuInS2 films. The precursor film is obtained by a solution-coating technique and is subjected to a low-cost and safe one-step reduction-sulfurization treatment. A maximum thickness of 300 nm is achieved per layer, and up to three layers were sulfurized at a time. The obtained films were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and visible-near-infrared (vis-NIR) spectrophotometry.