The emergence of chalcogenides: A new era for thin film solar absorbers

This paper aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the recent advancements in chalcogenide-based solar absorber materials and their potential to revolutionize solar energy conversion. Researchers are focused on chalcogenide materials due to their distinctive properties, aiming to harness solar energy efficiently in response to the increasing demand for sustainable energy sources. The application of chalcogenide absorbers with zinc blende and chalcopyrite structures, such as CdTe and Cu(In, Ga)Se₂ (CIGSe) has resulted in considerable advances in thin film photovoltaic performance at both the laboratory and commercial scales. However, concerns persist about toxicity and the scarcity of constituent elements in CIGSe/CdTe absorbers remains. Cu₂ZnSn(S, Se)₄ (CZTS, Se) materials based on the kesterite structure have emerged as appealing alternatives, promising non-toxicity and an abundance of constituent metals. CZTS, Se solar cells have a lower record power conversion efficiency of 14.9 % when compared to CIGSe (22.6 %), CdTe (22.1 %), and CIS (20 %) devices. This research highlights the emergence of chalcogenides as a promising material class for flexible thin-film solar absorbers.