Fabrication of Cu2Sn1-xGexS3 Thin-Film Solar Cells via Sulfurization of Cu2GeS3/Cu2SnS3 Stacked Precursors

Abstract

Cu2Sn1-xGexS3 (CTGS) is a compound composed of relatively abundant elements in the crust of the earth. The band gap of CTGS can be tuned by substituting elements at the Sn and Ge sites, making it an attractive material for low-environmental-impact solar cells. In this study, CTGS thin films were fabricated with a controlled [Ge]/([Ge] + [Sn]) composition ratio (x) by combining the co-evaporation method and sulfurization in an infrared furnace. Furthermore, the effect of Na on the CTGS and changes in the solar cell properties were investigated by stacking and sulfurizing NaF on the precursor fabricated using the co-evaporation method. As a result, CTGS with varying x was successfully fabricated by varying the deposition time of the Cu2GeS3 layer using co-evaporation. Additionally, CTGS prepared by doping with Na showed enlarged CTGS crystals compared to Na-free CTGS. The fabricated CTGS solar cells achieved a power conversion efficiency of more than 4.5% after doping with Na.