Synthesis of Tetragonal Cu2NiSnS4 Thin Film via Low-Cost Electrodeposition Method: Effect of Ni2+ Molarity

Quaternary semiconductor Cu2NiSnS4 (CNTS) has emerged as an ideal material for solar cells and has attracted the attention of researchers. Tetragonal-structured CNTS thin films have been successfully synthesized via sulfurization (500 degrees C, argon + sulfur) of co-electrodeposited Cu-Sn-Ni-S precursors on molybdenum (Mo) substrate. The effects of the Ni2+ molarity on the deposition potential, structure, composition, morphology, and optical bandgap of the CNTS thin film were examined by using cyclic voltammetry, Raman spectroscopy, x-ray diffraction analysis, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive x-ray (EDX) spectrometry, and ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) spectrophotometer. X-ray diffraction and Raman analyses confirmed formation of CNTS with tetragonal structure and average crystallite size of 17 nm to 20 nm. SEM revealed that the films were homogeneous, while EDX confirmed the presence of Cu-Ni-Sn-S, and the bandgap of the CNTS thin films was evaluated to lie in the range of 1.6 eV to 1.8 eV, making CNTS a strong candidate material for use in photovoltaic cells.