Improving efficiencies of Cu2ZnSnS4 nanoparticle based solar cells on flexible glass substrates

摘要

In spite of its mechanically inflexible structure, millimeter thick soda-lime glass is generally used for fabrication of Cu2ZnSn(S,Se)(4) (CZTSSe) thin film solar cells; improvements in sintering of the chalcogenide absorber layer from intrinsic sodium doping and subsequent higher device efficiency make soda-lime glass the preferred substrate. Thin and flexible Corning (R) Willow (R) Glass provides a unique advantage in contaminant-free fabrication of flexible solar cells, as it can be processed at the elevated temperatures (c.a. 500 degrees C-550 degrees C) needed for high performance thin film solar cells. In this study, we report successful lab-scale fabrication of CZTSSe solar cells on flexible glass substrates from nanoparticle inks of Cu2ZnSnS4 (CZTS), and identify necessary process changes to bridge device performance to standard devices fabricated with soda-lime glass (SLG).