The ternary compound Cu2SnS3 (CTS) is one of the promising absorbing materials for thin film solar cells having a direct optical band gap. It consists of all earth abundant and non-toxic constituents. We report for the first time the fabrication of the thin film solar cell of CTS on F-doped SnO2 (FTO) glass substrates by a non-vacuum and low cost spray pyrolysis technique. Rapid thermal processing of the as-deposited films in the presence of the sulphur powder produces highly stoichiometric, granular and crystalline CTS phase. Hall Effect measurement demonstrates a bulk carrier (holes) concentration of the order of 1016 cm-3 that ensures its desired electrical property. The CTS film shows direct optical band gap of 1.5 eV with an absorption coefficient of 105 cm-1. A solar cell architecture of Glass/FTO/CTS/CdS/Al:ZnO/Al was fabricated and its current-voltage characteristics show an open circuit voltage, short circuit current density and fill-factor of 12.6 mV, 20.65 μA/cm2 and 26%, respectively. A further improvement in the solar cell parameters is underway through CTS layer thickness optimization, using Mo-back contact and reducing parasitic losses.

Facile fabrication of spray pyrolysed ternary Cu2SnS3 based solar cells

254th National Meeting (2017)

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