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A novel approach based on sol-gel spin coating method to deposit Zn(O,S) thin film using thiourea(TU) as a sulfur source replacing CdS as buffer layer was developed and the influence of TU concentration on the properties of Zn(O,S) thin films and Cu(In,Ga)Se2(CIGS) solar cells were investigated in this paper. It was found by X-ray diffraction and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy that sol-gel derived Zn(O,S) thin films were amorphous and composed of ZnS, ZnO as well as Zn(OH)2. The variation of the optical band gap as a function of the S/(S+O) ratio was determined by energy-dispersive spectroscopy and UV-VIS-NIR. The results indicated that the minimum value for band gap of approximate 3.72 eV was obtained when the S/(S+O) = 0.44. Efficiency of up to 7.28% was achieved for a CIGS solar cell with Zn(O,S) buffer layer from 0.2M TU, which was attributed to the optimized conduction band offset (CBO) of +0.45 eV at the CIGS/Zn(O,S) interface.Zn(O,S) thin films prepared in sol-gel route was used to replace traditional CdS buffer layer deposited by chemical bath deposition method in Cu(In,Ga)Se2 solar cells. The best efficiency was achieved for CIGS/Zn(O,S)/i-ZnO/ITO heterostructure solar cell with S/(S+O) = 0.18, which was attributed to the optimized conduction band offset (CBO) of +0.45 eV at the CIGS/Zn(O,S) interface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

CuZnSnS (CZTS) thin films were fabricated by a low-cost nanoparticle ink method. The eco-friendly hydrophilic CZTS nanoparticles were mixed with low-cost n-propanol to form nanoparticle ink. To improve crystallinity and remove oxygen element, the CZTS thin films were sulfurized further. The effects of sulfurization temperature on the structure, morphologies, and photovoltaic performances of CZTS thin films were investigated. The results showed that the crystallinity of CZTS thin film was improved with increasing sulfurization temperature. The surface morphology studies demonstrated the formation of compact and homogenous CZTS thin film at a sulfurization temperature of 600 °C. By optimizing thickness of CZTS thin film, the CZTS thin-film solar cell with an optimal efficiency of 2.1% was obtained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]