Fabrication of Cu2ZnSnS4 (CZTS) absorber films based on different compound targets

CZTS has been considered to be a perfect suitable replacement for CuInGaSe 2 (CIGS) which contains the rare elements. This work developed a novel route to fabricate CZTS absorber films based on the integration of non-vacuum and vacuum techniques. This was illustrated by first synthesizing CZTS powder with the method of solid-phase synthesis. Then three different compound targets made of CZTS precursors and pure CZTS powder were utilized to fabricate CZTS absorber films using Radio Frequency (RF) sputtering, followed by a sulfurization process. All synthesized samples were analyzed with respect to their crystal structure, vibrational property, morphology and chemical composition. The photoelectrical properties investigation of the sulfurized absorber films by UV-VIS spectrophotometer and Hall effect measurement can well meet the requirements for potential application in thin film solar cells, demonstrating this approach had great potential for CZTS solar cell production.