Regulation of Zn/Sn ratio in kesterite absorbers to boost 10% efficiency of Cu_2ZnSn(S,Se)_4 solar cells

The Zn/Sn ratio in Cu_2ZnSn(S,Se)_4(CZTSSe)films has been regulated to control the composition-related phase,defect,and photoelectric properties for high performance kesterite solar cells.It is found that the increase in the Zn/Sn ratio can slightly narrow the energy band gap to extend the light absorption range and improve the photocurrent.Optimal Zn/Sn ratio of 1.39 in CZTSSe film is obtained with the least secondary phase,the lowest defect density,and the longest charge recombination lifetime.Up to 10.1%photoelectric conversion efficiency has been achieved by this composition regulation.     

Precisely tuning Ge substitution for efficient solution-processed Cu_2ZnSn(S,Se)_4 solar cells

The kesterite Cu_2ZnSn(S,Se)_4(CZTSSe) solar cells have yielded a prospective conversion efficiency among all thinfilm photovoltaic technology. However, its further development is still hindered by the lower open-circuit voltage(Voc), and the non-ideal bandgap of the absorber is an important factor affecting this issue. The substitution of Sn with Ge provides a unique ability to engineer the bandgap of the absorber film. Herein, a simple precursor solution approach was successfully developed to fabricate Cu_2Zn(SnyGe_(1-y))(SxSe_(1-x))_4(CZTGSSe) solar cells. By precisely adjusting the Ge content in a small range, the V_(oc) and J_(sc) are enhanced simultaneously. Benefitting from the optimized bandgap and the maintained spike structure and light absorption, the 10% Ge/(Ge+Sn) content device with a bandgap of approximately 1.1 eV yields the highest efficiency of 9.36%. This further indicates that a precisely controlled Ge content could further improve the cell performance for efficient CZTGSSe solar cells.