METHOD FOR PRODUCING Cu2ZnSnS4-xSex (0 LESS THAN-EQUAL TO X LESS THAN-EQUAL TO 4) THIN FILM BY ONE STEP ELECTRODEPOSITION IN ELECTROLYTIC BATH CONTAINING IONIC LIQUID

• US 20150027896A1
• Filed: 08/26/2013
• Published: 01/29/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/25/2013
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology
• Original Assignee: Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology
• Inventors: Kim, Jin Young, Lee, Doh-Kwon, Kim, Hong Gon, Kim, Bong Soo, Seo, Se Won, Lee, Kee Doo, Son, Hae Jung, Ko, Min Jae
• Application Number:
  US13/975,743
• Publication Number:
  US 20150027896A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 205/177
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02422 Non-crystalline insulating materials, e.g. glass, polymers
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02425 Conductive materials, e.g. metallic silicides
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02491 Conductive materials
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/0256 Selenides
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02568 Chalcogenide semiconducting materials not being oxides, e.g. ternary compounds
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02628 using solutions
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/0326 comprising AIBIICIVDVI kesterite compounds, e.g. Cu2ZnSnSe4, Cu2ZnSnS4
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/50 Photovoltaic [PV] energy

Abstract

A Cu₂ZnSnS_4-xSe_x (0≦x≦4) thin film solar cell is disclosed. The thin film solar cell includes a Cu₂ZnSnS_4-xSe_x (0≦x≦4) thin film as an absorber layer produced by forming a precursor film composed of Cu, Zn, Sn, and Se using an ionic liquid as a solvent through a constant current process and annealing the precursor film with sulfur. Also disclosed is a method for fabricating the thin film solar cell. The method uses a non-vacuum electrodeposition process that is appropriate for large-area mass production and is thus cost effective compared to a vacuum process. In addition, since the method uses an ionic liquid, the formation of by-products harmful to humans as a result of side reactions is suppressed. Furthermore, the method uses a one-step electrodeposition process, which enables the deposition of a maximum of four elements at one time, or a multi-step deposition process, and an annealing process.

Claims

1. A method for producing a CZTSe precursor film, the method comprising

(a1) preparing a CZTSe ionic solution comprising a Cu precursor, a Zn precursor, a Sn precursor, a Se precursor, and an anhydrous ionic liquid, and

(b1) electrodepositing the CZTSe ionic solution on a substrate.

8. A method for fabricating a Cu₂ZnSnS_4-xSe_x thin film solar cell, the method comprising

(a) producing a CZTSe precursor film by the method according to claim 1, and

(b) annealing the CZTSe precursor film in a sulfur atmosphere to produce a Cu₂ZnSnS_4-xSe_x (x is a real number from 0 to 4).

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein step (a) comprises washing and drying the CTZSe precursor film.

10. The method according to claim 8, wherein the anhydrous ionic liquid is selected from choline chloride, urea, ethylene glycol, malonic acid, glycerol, and mixtures thereof,

the first ionic liquid and the second ionic liquid are identical to or different from each other and are each independently selected from choline chloride, urea, ethylene glycol, malonic acid, glycerol, and mixtures thereof, and

the Cu precursor is selected from copper (II) chloride, copper (II) bromide, copper (II) fluoride, copper (II) nitrate, copper (H) sulfate, copper (II) acetate, and mixtures thereof, the Zn precursor is selected from zinc (II) chloride, zinc (II) bromide, zinc (II) fluoride, zinc (II) nitrate, zinc (II) sulfate, zinc (II) acetate, and mixtures thereof, the Sn precursor is selected from tin (H) chloride, tin (II) bromide, tin (II) fluoride, tin (II) nitrate, tin (II) sulfate, tin (II) acetate, and mixtures thereof, and the Se precursor is selected from selenium (IV) chloride, selenium (IV) sulfide, selenic acid, selenium (IV) oxide, and a mixture thereof.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein step (a1) comprises (a1′

) adding the Sn precursor and the Se precursor to the ionic liquid to prepare a TSe ionic solution, (a1″

) removing by-products of reactions between portions of Sn and Se from the TSe ionic solution, and (a1′

″

) mixing the resulting TSe ionic solution with the Cu precursor and the Zn precursor to prepare a CZTSe ionic solution for electrodeposition,

step (a2) comprises (a2′

) adding the Sn precursor to the ionic liquid to prepare a Sn ionic solution, (a2″

) removing reaction by-products from the Sn ionic solution, and (a2′

″

) mixing the resulting Sn ionic solution with the Cu precursor and the Zn precursor to prepare a CZT ionic solution for electrodeposition, and

step (a3) comprises (a3′

) adding the Sn precursor and the Se precursor to the first ionic liquid to prepare a TSe ionic solution, (a3″

) removing reaction by-products from the TSe ionic solution, and (a3′

″

) mixing the resulting TSe ionic solution with the Cu precursor to obtain a CTSe ionic solution for electrodeposition.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the electrodeposition is performed by at least one process selected from constant voltage processes using three electrodes and constant current processes using two electrodes, and

the primary electrodeposition and the secondary electrodeposition are performed by the same or different processes and are each independently performed by at least one process selected from constant voltage processes using three electrodes and constant current processes using two electrodes.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the concentrations of Cu, Zn, Sn, and Se in the CZTSe ionic solution for electrodeposition are 0.01-2 M, 0.01-2 M, 0.01-2 M, and 0.01-2 M, respectively,

the concentrations of Cu, Zn, and Sn in the CZT ionic solution for electrodeposition are 0.01-2 M, 0.01-2 M, and 0.01-2 M, respectively,

the concentrations of Cu, Sn, and Se in the CTSe ionic solution for electrodeposition are 0.01-2 M, 0.01-2 M, and 0.01-2 M, respectively,

steps (a1′

), (a2′

), and (a3′

) are performed at 80 to 90°

C., and

the substrate is a glass substrate on which molybdenum is deposited to a thickness of 500 nm to 1 μ

m.

2. A method for producing a CZTSe precursor film, the method comprising

(a2) preparing a CZT ionic solution comprising a Cu precursor, a Zn precursor, a Sn precursor, and an anhydrous ionic liquid,

(b2) electrodepositing the CZT ionic solution on a substrate to form a CZT precursor film, and

(c2) annealing the CZT precursor film in a Se atmosphere.

3. A method for producing a CZTSe precursor film, the method comprising

(a3) preparing a CTSe ionic solution comprising a Cu precursor, a Sn precursor, a Se precursor, and a first anhydrous ionic liquid,

(b3) primarily electrodepositing the CTSe ionic solution on a substrate to form a CTSe precursor film,

(c3) preparing a Zn ionic solution comprising a Zn precursor and a second anhydrous ionic liquid, and

(d3) secondarily electrodepositing the Zn ionic solution on the CTSe precursor film.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the anhydrous ionic liquid is selected from choline chloride, urea, ethylene glycol, malonic acid, glycerol, and mixtures thereof,

the first ionic liquid and the second ionic liquid are identical to or different from each other and are each independently selected from choline chloride, urea, ethylene glycol, malonic acid, glycerol, and mixtures thereof, and

the Cu precursor is selected from copper (II) chloride, copper (II) bromide, copper (II) fluoride, copper (II) nitrate, copper (II) sulfate, copper (II) acetate, and mixtures thereof, the Zn precursor is selected from zinc (II) chloride, zinc (II) bromide, zinc (II) fluoride, zinc (II) nitrate, zinc (II) sulfate, zinc (II) acetate, and mixtures thereof, the Sn precursor is selected from tin (II) chloride, tin (II) bromide, tin (II) fluoride, tin (II) nitrate, tin (II) sulfate, tin (II) acetate, and mixtures thereof, and the Se precursor is selected from selenium (IV) chloride, selenium (IV) sulfide, selenic acid, selenium (IV) oxide, and a mixture thereof.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein step (a1) comprises (a1′

) adding the Sn precursor and the Se precursor to the ionic liquid to prepare a TSe ionic solution, (a1″

) removing by-products of reactions between portions of Sn and Se from the TSe ionic solution, and (a1′

″

) mixing the resulting TSe ionic solution with the Cu precursor and the Zn precursor to prepare a CZTSe ionic solution for electrodeposition,

step (a2) comprises (a2′

) adding the Sn precursor to the ionic liquid to prepare a Sn ionic solution, (a2″

) removing reaction by-products from the Sn ionic solution, and (a2′

″

) mixing the resulting Sn ionic solution with the Cu precursor and the Zn precursor to prepare a CZT ionic solution for electrodeposition, and

step (a3) comprises (a3′

) adding the Sn precursor and the Se precursor to the first ionic liquid to prepare a TSe ionic solution, (a3″

) removing reaction by-products from the TSe ionic solution, and (a3′

″

) mixing the resulting TSe ionic solution with the Cu precursor to obtain a CTSe ionic solution for electrodeposition.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the electrodeposition is performed by at least one process selected from constant voltage processes using three electrodes and constant current processes using two electrodes, and

the primary electrodeposition and the secondary electrodeposition are performed by the same or different processes and are each independently performed by at least one process selected from constant voltage processes using three electrodes and constant current processes using two electrodes.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the concentrations of Cu, Zn, Sn, and Se in the CZTSe ionic solution for electrodeposition are 0.01-2 M, 0.01-2 M, 0.01-2 M, and 0.01-2 M, respectively,

the concentrations of Cu, Zn, and Sn in the CZT ionic solution for electrodeposition are 0.01-2 M, 0.01-2 M, and 0.01-2 M, respectively,

the concentrations of Cu, Sn, and Se in the CTSe ionic solution for electrodeposition are 0.01-2 M, 0.01-2 M, and 0.01-2 M, respectively,

steps (a1′

), (a2′

), and (a3′

) are performed at 80 to 90°

C., and the substrate is a glass substrate on which molybdenum is deposited to a thickness of 500 nm to 1 μ

m.

14. (canceled)

15. (canceled)