Kesterite Cu2ZnSnS4-xSex Thin Film Solar Cells

Kesterite Cu2ZnSnS4-xSex (CZTS) is a promising thin film photovoltaic (PV) material with low cost and nontoxic constitute as well as decent PV properties, being regarded as a PV technology that is truly compatible with terawatt deployment. The kesterite CZTS thin film solar cell has experienced impressive development since its first report in 1996 with power conversion efficiencies (PCEs) of only 0.66% to current highest value of 13.0%, while the understanding of the material, device physics, and loss mechanism is increasingly demanded. This chapter will review the development history of kesterite technology, present the basic material properties, and summarize the loss mechanism and strategies to tackle these problems to date. This chapter will help researchers have brief background knowledge of kesterite CZTS technology and understand the future direction to further propel this new technology forward.