Nontoxic and earth-abundant Cu2ZnSnS4 (CZTS) thin film solar cells: A review on high throughput processed methods

Photovoltaics is one of the most well-known sustainable technologies to supply all of the world's energy needs due to its enduring nature and lack of pollution. CdTe, CIGS, and a-Si are a few thin film-based photovoltaic technologies that are being developed. Working on novel materials and methods is still necessary in order to fabricate solar cells using affordable and environmentally friendly components. Today, the attention is primarily on the widely available and non-toxic Cu2ZnSnS4 (CZTS) semiconductor material, where 11.4 % efficiency was demonstrated for CZTS-based thin film solar cells. With the aid of several physical vapor deposition and chemical deposition processes, the CZTS absorber layer is thoroughly investigated. For solar cells to function better, it is crucial to comprehend the growth, formation mechanism, control of composition, topography, and other key aspects of the CZTS thin films and their interfaces. There have been some reviews released on thin film solar cells and their difficulties, but none on the high throughput processing techniques for CZTS thin film solar cells. Given its significance, a thorough overview of CZTS-based thin film solar cells made using various physical and chemical techniques is presented here. To increase the power conversion efficiencies, it also describes how the growth mechanism and characteristics of CZTS thin films can be better understood.