Multinary Alloying Suppresses Defect Formation in Emerging Inorganic Solar Cells

Abstract

The Cu2ZnSn(S, Se)4 (CZTSSe) emerging inorganic solar cell is highly promising for accelerating the large-scale and low-cost applications of thin-film photovoltaics. It possesses distinct advantages such as abundant and non-toxic constituent elements, high material stability, and excellent compatibility with industrial processes. However, CZTSSe solar cells still face challenges related to complex defects and charge losses. To overcome these limitations and improve the efficiency of CZTSSe solar cells, it is crucial to experimentally identify and mitigate deep defects. In this study, we reveal that the dominant deep defect in CZTSSe materials exhibits donor characteristics. We propose that incomplete cation exchange during the multi-step crystallization reactions of CZTSSe is the kinetics mechanism responsible for the defect formation. To address this issue, we introduce an elemental synergistic alloying approach aimed at weakening the metal-chalcogen bond strength and the stability of intermediate phases. This alloying strategy has facilitated the kinetics of cation exchange, leading to a significant reduction in charge losses within the CZTSSe absorber. As a result, we have achieved a cell efficiency of over 14.5%. These results represent a significant advancement for emerging inorganic solar cells and additionally bring more opportunities for the precise identification and regulation of defects in a wider range of multinary inorganic compounds.