Novel chemical approach to synthesis and characterization of greener and rock-like Cu2ZnSnS3Se (CZTSSe) thin films of kasterite structure

The growing requirement to enlarge cost-effective sustainable renewable energy technologies for future generations of solar cells due to reservoirs of fossil fuels are being run out in near future. Their excessive use has created serious environment issues like global warming, pollution etc. Considering about photovoltaic thin film solar cells, Cu2ZnSnS3Se (CZTSSe) are particularly interesting because of their high absorption coefficients greater than 10(4) cm(-1), good photostability and confirmed high photovoltaic efficiency. Their direct tunable band gaps as well as their constituent elements are highly plentiful in earth's crust, non-toxic and cheaply available in market which give greener and cost effective way to synthesize thin film solar cells. Taking this positive approach we have tried to focus synthesis of Cu2ZnSnS3Se (CZTSSe) thin films by appropriate, inexpensive chemical bath deposition technique. The films obtained were uniform and high quality in appearance. The films were characterized by X-Ray diffraction, Raman, Scanning Electron Microscope, EDS, UV-Visible Spectrophotometer, electrical conductivity and PEC studies. The band gap obtained from the transmission spectra which is tunable for solar absorption. The outstanding thing is that synthesis of CZTSSe thin films were carried out at low temperature. The result of XRD and Raman confirms Pure Kasterite phase and formation of CZTS(3)Se. The SEM gives typical rock like morphology and EDS confirms fair stoichiometry while band gap was estimated upto 1.32 eV which also supported by strongly by PL spectroscopy. The conversion efficiency analysed by PEC study up to 1.47%. (C) 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.