A comparative study of sol-gel and electrodeposition methods used in the synthesis of Cu2FeSnS4 thin films

Abstract

This research aims to develop copper iron tin sulfide using two distinct chemical methods, sol-gel and electrodeposition. A comparative analysis is performed to evaluate and contrast the results obtained from each method. The X-ray Diffraction results indicate that all films exhibit a preferential orientation along the (112) plane, approving the presence of the tetragonal stannite phase with space group I-42m for both fabrication techniques. Raman Spectroscopy confirms the phase identified by X-ray Diffraction. Scanning Electron Microscopy showed a uniformed and dense surface. Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy confirmed the presence of all elements present in the structure. The optical analysis for both fabrication methods confirms that the thin films exhibit absorption coefficients greater than 10⁴ cm⁻¹ and band gap energies of 1.43 eV and 1.5 eV for the electrodeposition and sol-gel techniques respectively, which are indicative of good light absorption characteristics. Hall Effect measurements revealed a p-type conductivity in CFTS thin films prepared by the sol-gel method, with a carrier concentration of 3.85 10¹⁶, an electrical mobility of 1.42 10⁻² cm²/V.s, and a sheet resistivity of 3.31 Ω cm. The simulation of the efficiency of solar cells based on CFTS absorbers prepared by both methods was performed using the SCAPS-1D simulator, and theoretical J-V characteristics were generated. Overall, this research establishes the effectiveness of this thin films as viable absorbers in solar cells.