Electrodeposited CZTS solar cells from Reline electrolyte

This work is the first report of using a deep eutectic solvent named Reline as a green electrolyte to electrodeposit CZTS films for photovoltaic applications. This is successfully achieved by co-electrodepositing Cu-Zn-Sn precursor thin films in Reline and sulfurizing the Cu-Zn-Sn precursors in a mixture of H2S and N-2 at 550 degrees C for 1 h. The CZTS films are uniform and compact on a microscopic scale, which translates to a benign photoresponse of the CZTS solar cell. Photovoltaic devices were prepared from the films and an efficiency of 3.87% has been achieved. The device performance indicates that Reline is a viable green solvent for the electrodeposition of CZTS thin film solar cells in a low cost way.