Spray deposited copper zinc tin sulphide (Cu2ZnSnS4) film as a counter electrode in dye sensitized solar cells

Swami, Sanjay Kumar; Chaturvedi, Neha; Kumar, Anuj; Chander, Nikhil; Dutta, Viresh; Kumar, D. Kishore; Ivaturi, A.; Senthilarasu, S.; Upadhyaya, Hari M.

Abstract

Stoichiometric thin films of Cu2ZnSnS4 (CZTS) were deposited by the spray technique on a FTO coated glass substrate, with post-annealing in a H2S environment to improve the film properties. CZTS films were used as a counter electrode (CE) in Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells (DSCs) with N719 dye and an iodine electrolyte. The DSC of 0.25 cm2 area using a CE of CZTS film annealed in a H2S environment under AM 1.5G illumination (100 mW cm−2) exhibited a short circuit current density (JSC) = 18.63 mA cm−2, an open circuit voltage (VOC) = 0.65 V and a fill factor (FF) = 0.53, resulting in an overall power conversion efficiency (PCE) = 6.4%. While the DSC using as deposited CZTS film as a CE showed the PCE = 3.7% with JSC = 13.38 mA cm−2, VOC = 0.57 V and FF = 0.48. Thus, the spray deposited CZTS films can play an important role as a CE in the large area DSC fabrication.

Citation

Swami, S. K., Chaturvedi, N., Kumar, A., Chander, N., Dutta, V., Kumar, D. K., Ivaturi, A., Senthilarasu, S., & Upadhyaya, H. M. (2014). Spray deposited copper zinc tin sulphide (Cu2ZnSnS4) film as a counter electrode in dye sensitized solar cells. Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics, 16(43), 23993-23999. https://doi.org/10.1039/C4CP03312D

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Sep 29, 2014
• Online Publication Date: Oct 6, 2014
• Publication Date: Nov 21, 2014
• Deposit Date: Mar 14, 2023
• Print ISSN: 1463-9076
• Publisher: Royal Society of Chemistry
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 16
• Issue: 43
• Pages: 23993-23999
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1039/C4CP03312D
• Keywords: CZTS, Spray Process, Sulphurisation, Dye Sensitized Solar Cell