Evolution of detrimental secondary phases in unstable Cu2ZnSnS4 films during annealing

Hyo Rim Jung; Seung Wook Shin; K. V. Gurav; Myeng Gil Gang; Jeong Yong Lee; Jong Ha Moon; Jin Hyeok Kim

doi:10.1007/s13391-015-5340-2

Evolution of detrimental secondary phases in unstable Cu₂ZnSnS₄ films during annealing

Hyo Rim Jung, Seung Wook Shin, K. V. Gurav, Myeng Gil Gang, Jeong Yong Lee, Jong Ha Moon, Jin Hyeok Kim

Chemical Engineering and Materials Science

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

16 Scopus citations

Abstract

The formation and phase evolution of Cu-S based compounds in kesterite Cu₂ZnSnS₄ (CZTS) absorbing thin films is a critical factor affecting the performance of these materials in thin film solar cells (TFSCs). However, to the best of our knowledge, few studies have investigated the segregation of Cu-S based compounds in kesterite thin films during the sulfurization process. In this study, stacked Cu/SnS₂/ZnS precursor thin films were annealed to systematically study the segregation and phase evolution of Cu-S based compounds in kesterite thin films subjected to functional sulfurization times at 550°C. The stacked precursor thin films appeared to be fully transformed to the pure kesterite phase when the sulfurization times are over 30 min. when analyzed using X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy. However, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) characterization revealed that Cu-S based compounds segregated in the kesterite CZTS thin films annealed for 120 min. at 550°C. Based on the experimental results obtained for functional sulfurization times, a mechanism for Cu-S based compounds segregation and the phase evolution process is proposed. [Figure not available: see fulltext.]

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	139-146
Number of pages	8
Journal	Electronic Materials Letters
Volume	12
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1007/s13391-015-5340-2
State	Published - Jan 1 2016

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
This work is supported by the Human Resources Development program (No. 20124010203180) of the Korea Institute of Energy Technology Evaluation and Planning (KETEP) Grant funded by the Korea Government Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy. This work was partially supported by Basic Science Research Program through the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) funded by the Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning (NRF- 2015R1A2A2A01006856).

Publisher Copyright:
© 2016, The Korean Institute of Metals and Materials and Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht.

Keywords

Cu-S phase segregation
CuZnSnS (CZTS)
earth abundant elements
thin film solar cells (TFSCs)
transmission electron microscopy (TEM)

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Access

10.1007/s13391-015-5340-2

OpenUrl availability

Full text

Cite this

@article{de3633e250264f7b91a107140d6b6fff,

title = "Evolution of detrimental secondary phases in unstable Cu2ZnSnS4 films during annealing",

abstract = "The formation and phase evolution of Cu-S based compounds in kesterite Cu2ZnSnS4 (CZTS) absorbing thin films is a critical factor affecting the performance of these materials in thin film solar cells (TFSCs). However, to the best of our knowledge, few studies have investigated the segregation of Cu-S based compounds in kesterite thin films during the sulfurization process. In this study, stacked Cu/SnS2/ZnS precursor thin films were annealed to systematically study the segregation and phase evolution of Cu-S based compounds in kesterite thin films subjected to functional sulfurization times at 550°C. The stacked precursor thin films appeared to be fully transformed to the pure kesterite phase when the sulfurization times are over 30 min. when analyzed using X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy. However, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) characterization revealed that Cu-S based compounds segregated in the kesterite CZTS thin films annealed for 120 min. at 550°C. Based on the experimental results obtained for functional sulfurization times, a mechanism for Cu-S based compounds segregation and the phase evolution process is proposed. [Figure not available: see fulltext.]",

keywords = "Cu-S phase segregation, CuZnSnS (CZTS), earth abundant elements, thin film solar cells (TFSCs), transmission electron microscopy (TEM)",

author = "Jung, {Hyo Rim} and Shin, {Seung Wook} and Gurav, {K. V.} and Gang, {Myeng Gil} and Lee, {Jeong Yong} and Moon, {Jong Ha} and Kim, {Jin Hyeok}",

note = "Funding Information: This work is supported by the Human Resources Development program (No. 20124010203180) of the Korea Institute of Energy Technology Evaluation and Planning (KETEP) Grant funded by the Korea Government Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy. This work was partially supported by Basic Science Research Program through the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) funded by the Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning (NRF- 2015R1A2A2A01006856). Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2016, The Korean Institute of Metals and Materials and Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht.",

year = "2016",

month = jan,

day = "1",

doi = "10.1007/s13391-015-5340-2",

language = "English (US)",

volume = "12",

pages = "139--146",

journal = "Electronic Materials Letters",

issn = "1738-8090",

publisher = "Springer Netherlands",

number = "1",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Evolution of detrimental secondary phases in unstable Cu2ZnSnS4 films during annealing

AU - Jung, Hyo Rim

AU - Shin, Seung Wook

AU - Gurav, K. V.

AU - Gang, Myeng Gil

AU - Lee, Jeong Yong

AU - Moon, Jong Ha

AU - Kim, Jin Hyeok

N1 - Funding Information: This work is supported by the Human Resources Development program (No. 20124010203180) of the Korea Institute of Energy Technology Evaluation and Planning (KETEP) Grant funded by the Korea Government Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy. This work was partially supported by Basic Science Research Program through the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) funded by the Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning (NRF- 2015R1A2A2A01006856). Publisher Copyright: © 2016, The Korean Institute of Metals and Materials and Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht.

PY - 2016/1/1

Y1 - 2016/1/1

N2 - The formation and phase evolution of Cu-S based compounds in kesterite Cu2ZnSnS4 (CZTS) absorbing thin films is a critical factor affecting the performance of these materials in thin film solar cells (TFSCs). However, to the best of our knowledge, few studies have investigated the segregation of Cu-S based compounds in kesterite thin films during the sulfurization process. In this study, stacked Cu/SnS2/ZnS precursor thin films were annealed to systematically study the segregation and phase evolution of Cu-S based compounds in kesterite thin films subjected to functional sulfurization times at 550°C. The stacked precursor thin films appeared to be fully transformed to the pure kesterite phase when the sulfurization times are over 30 min. when analyzed using X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy. However, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) characterization revealed that Cu-S based compounds segregated in the kesterite CZTS thin films annealed for 120 min. at 550°C. Based on the experimental results obtained for functional sulfurization times, a mechanism for Cu-S based compounds segregation and the phase evolution process is proposed. [Figure not available: see fulltext.]

AB - The formation and phase evolution of Cu-S based compounds in kesterite Cu2ZnSnS4 (CZTS) absorbing thin films is a critical factor affecting the performance of these materials in thin film solar cells (TFSCs). However, to the best of our knowledge, few studies have investigated the segregation of Cu-S based compounds in kesterite thin films during the sulfurization process. In this study, stacked Cu/SnS2/ZnS precursor thin films were annealed to systematically study the segregation and phase evolution of Cu-S based compounds in kesterite thin films subjected to functional sulfurization times at 550°C. The stacked precursor thin films appeared to be fully transformed to the pure kesterite phase when the sulfurization times are over 30 min. when analyzed using X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy. However, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) characterization revealed that Cu-S based compounds segregated in the kesterite CZTS thin films annealed for 120 min. at 550°C. Based on the experimental results obtained for functional sulfurization times, a mechanism for Cu-S based compounds segregation and the phase evolution process is proposed. [Figure not available: see fulltext.]

KW - Cu-S phase segregation

KW - CuZnSnS (CZTS)

KW - earth abundant elements

KW - thin film solar cells (TFSCs)

KW - transmission electron microscopy (TEM)

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84955504488&partnerID=8YFLogxK

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84955504488&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1007/s13391-015-5340-2

DO - 10.1007/s13391-015-5340-2

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:84955504488

SN - 1738-8090

VL - 12

SP - 139

EP - 146

JO - Electronic Materials Letters

JF - Electronic Materials Letters

IS - 1

ER -