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The quaternary alloy of Cu2CdSnS4 (CCSS) is one type of thin film materials that contributes to the field of photovoltaic devices manufacturing, the importance of which has not been commonly enlightened as most of the other materials. For the preparation of CCSS thin films at 350 °C on glass substrates, the chemical spray pyrolysis technique was used. The optical properties of thin films prepared under the influence of the variation of copper solution molarity (0.03, 0.05, 0.07, and 0.09 M) on the quaternary compound were examined using a UV-vis spectrophotometer. The findings of the AFM study showed the atoms on the surface that are acclimatized in the form of nanorods with an increase in the average grain size from 62.72 to 79.17 nm. The results also showed an improvement in the average surface roughness from 5.69 to 12.8 nm when copper concentration increased from 0.03 to 0.09 M. The UVvis results showed that the optical transmittance of CCSS decreases by increasing the solution molarity of copper, with a change in the absorption edge toward the low energy side (redshift). With an increase in the wavelength between 725 and 960 nm, a low absorption coefficient was found in the infrared region, while a strong absorption coefficient in the visible range was observed with the increase in copper solution molarity. The energy gap values decreased from 1.6 to 1.47 eV when copper solution molarity increased from 0.03 to 0.09 M. By raising copper solution molarity to 0.09 M, the refractive index at the absorption edge was increased from 1.6 to 1.97, while the extinction coefficient reduced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cu 2 ZnSnS 4 (CZTS) occurs in nature and is the most likely alternative to Cu(In,Ga)Se 2 (CIGS) thin film solar cells, which started to spread increasingly all over the world. CZTS is a very suitable absorber layer material for thin film solar cells due to containing cheap material. It has a 1.5 eV band gap that is appropriate for theoretical Shockley-Queisser limit values, and the large absorption coefficient (104 cm−1). Substitution of different metals and usage of low cost and easy controlled deposition systems may present advantages. Cu 2 CdSnS 4 (CCTS) is a semiconductor with a band gap of 1.37 eV, and it has a large absorption coefficient over 104 cm−1 that makes it a possible photovoltaic material. Its structure is similar to CZTS. In this study, Cu 2 CdSnS 4 thin films were deposited by ultrasonic spray method at various substrate temperatures as an alternative absorber layer. The structural features of the thin films were determined by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) surface morphology by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and optical band gaps by UV-VIS-NIR data. A CCTS-based solar cell with 1.14% power conversion efficiency was obtained using the most appropriate thin film according to optical and structural properties. • Cu 2 CdSnS 4 thin films were deposited using ultrasonic spray pyrolysis and annealed in H 2 S/Ar atmosphere. • The influence of substrate temperature on properties of the films were examined. • A solar cell with 1.14% efficiency was obtained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cu2CdSnS4 thin film was prepared by sulfurizing (Cu, Sn)S/CdS structured precursors prepared by a combination of the successive ionic layer absorption and reaction method and the chemical bath deposition method. X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and UV-vis-NIR absorbance spectroscopy measurements show that the Cu2CdSnS4 thin film exhibits large agglomeration of grains, idea band gap (Eg=1.45eV) and high optical absorption coefficient (>104cm-1). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]