Impact of sulfurization procedure parameters on photoelectrochemical, compositional and structural features of kesterite

• Published in: Materials science & engineering. B, Solid-state materials for advanced technology Vol. 274; p. 115483
• Main Authors: Juškėnas, Remigijus, Balakauskas, Saulius, Mockus, Zenius, Kanapeckaitė, Stasė, Kalinauskas, Putinas, Stalnionis, Giedrius, Naujokaitis, Arnas, Selskis, Algirdas, Šetkus, Arūnas, Niaura, Gediminas
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Lausanne Elsevier B.V 01-12-2021; Elsevier BV
• Subjects: Aqueous solutions; Chemical composition; Copper; Copper base alloys; Crystal structure; Crystallography; Cu2ZnSnS2; Electrochemical cells; Flow velocity; Glass substrates; Kesterite; Phase composition; Photocurrent; Photoelectric effect; Photoelectric emission; Photoelectricity; Structure; Sulfur; Sulfurization; Sulfurization procedure; Thin films; Tin; Tube furnaces; Vapors; Sulfurization procedure; Photocurrent; Kesterite; Structure; Cu2ZnSnS2
• ISSN: 0921-5107; 1873-4944
• DOI: 10.1016/j.mseb.2021.115483

The formation of kesterite (Cu2ZnSnS4) in a quartz tube furnace attached to a special separate chamber for evaporation of sulphur has been studied. Ar gas was used to transport the sulphur vapour to the reaction zone at the centre of tube furnace. A Cu-Zn-Sn (CZT) precursor on the Mo/glass substrate was formed by the electrochemical deposition of a Cu-Sn alloy and a Zn layer on the top. The impact of Ar gas + S vapour flow rate and of temperature at the reaction zone on the chemical composition, crystalline structure, structure ordering, phase purity, and surface morphology was studied. The photoelectric efficiency of the formed kesterite thin films was evaluated by measuring a photocurrent of electrochemical cell with a 0.1 M Eu(NO3)3 aqueous solution. It has been shown that the chemical and phase composition, as well as the crystallographic structure and level of structure ordering, can be tuned by varying the flow rate of Ar + S vapour, temperature at which the sulfurization process begins, as well as process duration. The photocurrent is correlated with the ordering level of kesterite structure.