Experimental and theoretical study of electrodeposited CuInS2 thin films for solar cell applications

Absorbent CuInS2 layers were successfully prepared using an electrodeposition technique on ITO-coated glass, followed by a sulfidation process. The effects of sulfurization time on the structural, morphological and optical properties of samples were examined. The structure, morphology, and composition of synthesized films were characterized by using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS), while the optical properties were examined by UV-VIS-NIR spectrophotometry. The experimental results show that the resulting films (CIS) are polycrystalline with a chalcopyrite structure with a preferential orientation along the (112) plane and show that Cu atoms separate near the grain boundaries and a wide bandgap value of 1.52 eV. The SEM study showed that the surface of the CIS films was dense and uniform. Theoretical calculations carried out by TB-mBJ showed a wide bandgap of 1.15 eV, a high refractive index, and absorption coefficient in the visible region which is consistent with the experimental results found.

Automated summary

Absorbent CuInS2 layers were successfully prepared using an electrodeposition technique, and the effects of sulfurization time on the properties of samples were investigated. The resulting films exhibited a polycrystalline chalcopyrite structure and showed good optical performance.