Epitaxial Cu2ZnSnS4 thin film on Si (111) 4° substrate

Abstract

To explore the possibility of Cu2ZnSnS4 (CZTS)/Si based tandem solar cells, the heteroepitaxy of tetragonal Cu2ZnSnS4 thin films on single crystalline cubic Si (111) wafers with 4° miscut is obtained by molecular beam epitaxy. The X-ray θ-2θ scan and selected area diffraction patterns of the CZTS thin films and Si substrates, and the high resolution transmission electron microscopy image of the CZTS/Si interface region demonstrate that the CZTS thin films are epitaxially grown on the Si substrates. A CZTS/Si P-N junction is formed and shows photovoltaic responses, indicating the promising application of epitaxial CZTS thin films on Si.