The effect of step cooling treatment on the microstructure of Cu2ZnSnS4 film and its electric property

Flexible Cu2ZnSnS4 (CZTS) thin-film solar cells have the advantages of high flexibility, lightweight, and easy storage, which can provide portable and clean energy for various portable electronic and communication devices and vehicles. In this work, CZTS thin film deposited on flexible aluminum foil were prepared by vacuum magnetron sputtering and sulfide annealing in a tubular furnace. A step-by-step cooling way was applied to the annealing stage aiming at tuning the formation of CZTS, that is, when the slow cooling reached a target tem-perature (400 & DEG;C, 350 & DEG;C, 300 & DEG;C, 250 & DEG;C), a rapid cooling was triggered by opening the tube furnace lid. The effects of step cooling on the micro structure and property of CZTS film were studied by X-ray diffraction, Raman scattering, energy dispersive spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy and current-voltage (I-V) characteristic curve test. The experimental results showed that all samples have CZTS phase and the Al/CZTS interface exhibited ohmic contact. And the formation of secondary phases like SnS, Sn2S3 and Cu31S16 in the sample film can be tuned by the step cooling treatments. The sample treated at 300 & DEG;C had the highest CZTS content, the average grain size of CZTS was 45 nm and the number of secondary phases was fewer. Beside, the I-V curve revealed that this sample had the lowest resistance. The experimental results in this work indicate the feasibility of Al as a substrate and back electrode for CZTS thin film.

Automated summary

Flexible CZTS thin-film solar cells were prepared on flexible aluminum foil by vacuum magnetron sputtering and sulfide annealing. The step cooling method was used to tune the formation of CZTS, and it was found that the microstructure and properties of the CZTS film can be controlled by this method. The sample treated at 300°C showed the highest CZTS content, smaller grain size, and fewer secondary phases.