A Deep Dive into Cu2 ZnSnS4 (CZTS) Solar Cells: A Review of Exploring Roadblocks, Breakthroughs, and Shaping the Future

Usman Ali Shah; Ao Wang; Muhammad Irfan Ullah; Muhammad Ishaq; Imtiaz Alam Shah; Yiyu Zeng; Misbah Sehar Abbasi; Muhammad Ali Umair; Umar Farooq; Guang-Xing Liang; Kaiwen Sun

doi:10.1002/smll.202310584

A Deep Dive into Cu₂ ZnSnS₄ (CZTS) Solar Cells: A Review of Exploring Roadblocks, Breakthroughs, and Shaping the Future

Small. 2024 Mar 12:e2310584. doi: 10.1002/smll.202310584. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Florence, via Giovanni Sansone 1, Sesto Fiorentino, FI, 50019, Italy.
² School of Photovoltaic and Renewable Energy Engineering, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia.
³ Institute of Functional Nano & Soft Materials (FUNSOM), Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Carbon-Based Functional Materials & Devices, Joint International Research Laboratory of Carbon-Based Functional Materials and Devices, Soochow University, 199 Ren'ai Road, Suzhou, Jiangsu, 215123, P. R. China.
⁴ Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Advanced Thin Films and Applications, Key Laboratory of Optoelectronic Devices and Systems of Ministry of Education and Guangdong Province, College of Physics and Optoelectronic Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong, 518060, P.R. China.
⁵ Department of Mechanical Engineering, International Islamic University, Islamabad, 04436, Pakistan.
⁶ College of Materials Science and Opto-Electronic Technology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, P.R. China.
⁷ European Laboratory for Nonlinear Spectroscopy (LENS), University of Florence, via Nello Carrara, 1, Sesto Fiorentino, FI, I-50019, Italy.
⁸ Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education for Advanced Catalysis Materials, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua, Zhejiang, 321004, P. R. China.

PMID: 38470191
DOI: 10.1002/smll.202310584

Abstract

Renewable energy is crucial for sustainable future, and Cu₂ ZnSnS₄ (CZTS) based solar cells shine as a beacon of hope. CZTS, composed of abundant, low-cost, and non-toxic elements, shares similarities with Cu(In,Ga)Se₂ (CIGS). However, despite its promise and appealing properties for solar cells, CZTS-based solar cells faces performance challenges owing to inherent issues with CZTS material, and conventional substrate structure complexities. This review critically examines these roadblocks, explores ongoing efforts and breakthroughs, providing insight into the evolving landscape of CZTS-based solar cells research. Furthermore, as an optimistic turn in the field, the review first highlights the crucial need to transition to a superstrate structure for CZTS-based single junction devices, and summarizes the substantial progress made in this direction. Subsequently, dive into the discussion about the fascinating realm of CZTS-based tandem devices, providing an overview of the existing literature as well as outlining the possible potential strategies for enhancing the efficiency of such devices. Finally, the review provides a useful outlook that outlines the priorities for future research and suggesting where efforts should concentrate to shape the future of CZTS-based solar cells.

Keywords: CZTS; defects; interface engineering; tandem solar cells; thin-film solar cells.

Publication types

Review

Abstract

Publication types

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