Crystal chemistry and optical investigations of the Cu{sub 2}Zn(Sn,Si)S{sub 4} series for photovoltaic applications
- Laboratoire de l'État Solide, Département de Physique, Faculté des Sciences de Sfax, Université de Sfax, B.P. 1171, 3000 Sfax (Tunisia)
- Institut des Matériaux Jean Rouxel (IMN), Université de Nantes—CNRS, 2 rue de la Houssinière, B.P. 32229, 44322 Nantes Cedex 03 (France)
Different compounds in the Cu{sub 2}ZnSnS{sub 4}–Cu{sub 2}ZnSiS{sub 4} system have been prepared via ceramic route and structurally characterized via X-ray diffraction on powders and single crystals. Two solid solutions were identified along the Cu{sub 2}Zn(Sn,Si)S{sub 4} series. Namely, materials with Si-content x=Si/(Sn+Si) lower than 0.5 crystallize with the Cu{sub 2}ZnSnS{sub 4} kesterite structure type while materials with x higher than 0.8 adopt the Cu{sub 2}ZnSiS{sub 4} enargite structure type. In between, a miscibility gap occurs where the Cu{sub 2}ZnSn{sub 0.5}Si{sub 0.5}S{sub 4} and Cu{sub 2}ZnSn{sub 0.2}Si{sub 0.8}S{sub 4} compounds co-exist. The optical bandgap increases continuously with the Si content in the whole series. This opens up the possibility to fine tune the absorption threshold and to adjust it to 1.7 eV for x∼0.5, the optimum value for the top cell of tandem solar devises to achieve high photovoltaic conversion efficiency. - Graphical abstract: Two solid solutions have been pointed out in the Cu{sub 2}Zn(Sn{sub 1−x}Si{sub x})S{sub 4} series with the kesterite and the enargite type structures. - Highlights: • New compounds in Cu{sub 2}Zn(Sn,Si)S{sub 4} series have been prepared. • Two solid solutions Cu{sub 2}ZnSn{sub 1−x}Si{sub x}S{sub 4} were identified for x≤0.5 and x≥0.8. • In the miscibility gap 2 phases co-exist with kesterite and enargite structure types. • The optical bandgap increases continuously with the Si-content in the whole series. • These materials could be envisioned as absorber in thin-film solar cells.
- OSTI ID:
- 22451137
- Journal Information:
- Journal of Solid State Chemistry, Vol. 220; Other Information: Copyright (c) 2014 Elsevier Science B.V., Amsterdam, The Netherlands, All rights reserved.; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0022-4596
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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