Synthesis of Cu₂ZnSnS₄ Nanocrystals for Use in Low-Cost Photovoltaics

Abstract

Cu(2)ZnSnS(4) (CZTS) is a promising new material for thin-film solar cells. Nanocrystal dispersions, or solar paints, present an opportunity to significantly reduce the production cost of photovoltaic devices. This communication demonstrates the colloidal synthesis of CZTS nanocrystals and their use in fabricating prototype solar cells with a power conversion efficiency of 0.23% under AM 1.5 illumination.

Wurtzite Cu2ZnSnSe4 nanocrystals for high-performance organic–inorganic hybrid photodetectors

“…Preliminary simulation reveals that such NCs hold a wurtzite phase, which is totally different from the well-characterized stannite and kesterite phase in both JCPDS database and previous reports. [20][21][22]25 The experimental pattern of the CZTSe NCs matches well with the simulated one of wurtzite structure with a¼4.00 Å and c¼6.61 Å , which are smaller than those of CuInSe 2 . 8 To investigate the formation mechanism of the wurtzite CZTSe NCs, some control experiments were carried out.…”

“…In addition, CZTSe films have promising thermoelectric properties, with large thermoelectric figure of merit values of about 0.9 at 860 K. 19 Several solution-based methods have been reported to synthesize nearly stoichiometric Cu 2 ZnSnS 4 NCs. [20][21][22] The conversion efficiency of the Cu 2 ZnSnS 4 -absorber films prepared by co-sputtering, which added cost to the process, has reached over 6.7%. 23 Moreover, Cu 2 ZnSnS x Se 4-x -based thin-film solar cells with power conversion efficiency of 9.6%, a level suitable for possible commercialization, have been constructed by solution method using toxic and unstable hydrazine.…”

“…8,13,14,27,28 The reported Cu 2 ZnSn(S,Se) 4 NCs mostly show the stannite or kesterite structures. [19][20][21][22]25 Recently, Li and coworkers 26 reported the Cu 2 ZnSnS 4 NCs with wurtzite structure, which has been found in many binary and ternary chalcogenides, but seldom in quaternary compounds. 8,13,14,29,30 The wurtzite structure owns disordered cations, and the random distribution of A and B ions in the wurtzite phase offers the flexibility for stoichiometry control, which is advantageous for the fabrication of photovoltaic devices, as it provides the ability to tune energy band gap for device optimization.…”

Real-Space Mapping of Surface Trap States in CIGSe Nanocrystals Using 4D Electron Microscopy

“…[11][12][13][14][15] This often acts as a bottleneck in the use of these NCs for photoactive applications. Typically, multinary metal chalcogenides possess many desirable attributes, such as high absorption coefficient and high photo-stability for optoelectronic applications, [16][17][18][19][20][21] and a record power conversion efficiency of 21.7% has been obtained in the bulk form following physical deposition techniques, 22 which is close to the efficiency of polycrystalline silicon solar cells. But, when it comes to nanoscale, the presence of multiple trap states and the lack of the knowledge about their ultrafast carrier trapping dynamics limit their efficiency in device-based applications.…”

Strain tuning of native defect populations: The case of Cu2ZnSn(S,Se)4

“…[1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11] Doping and recombination in the CZTSSe absorber layer are believed to be largely determined by its native defects. 11 In its close relative, Cu(In,Ga)(S, Se) 2 (CIGSSe), Cu vacancies (V Cu ) are the dominant native defects and act as important shallow acceptors.…”