Cu2ZnSnS4 crystal growth using an SnCl2 based flux

K. A. Kokh; V. V. Atuchin; S. V. Adichtchev; T. A. Gavrilova; A. M. Bakhadur; A. O. Klimov; I. V. Korolkov; N. V. Kuratieva; S. Mukherjee; N. V. Pervukhina; N. V. Surovtsev

doi:10.1039/D0CE01264E

Cu₂ZnSnS₄ crystal growth using an SnCl₂ based flux†

K. A. Kokh,*^ab V. V. Atuchin,

^cde S. V. Adichtchev,^f T. A. Gavrilova,

^g A. M. Bakhadur,^h A. O. Klimov,^ab I. V. Korolkov,

ⁱ N. V. Kuratieva,ⁱ S. Mukherjee,

^j N. V. Pervukhinaⁱ and N. V. Surovtsev^f

Author affiliations

* Corresponding authors

^a Laboratory of Crystal Growth, Sobolev Institute of Geology and Mineralogy, SB RAS, Novosibirsk 630090, Russia

^b Department of Geology and Geophysics, Novosibirsk State University, Novosibirsk 630090, Russia

^c Laboratory of Optical Materials and Structures, Rzhanov Institute of Semiconductor Physics, SB RAS, Novosibirsk 630090, Russia
E-mail: atuchin@isp.nsc.ru

^d Laboratory of Semiconductor and Dielectric Materials, Novosibirsk State University, Novosibirsk 630090, Russia

^e Research and Development Department, Kemerovo State University, Kemerovo 650000, Russia

^f Laboratory of Condensed Matter Spectroscopy, Institute of Automation and Electrometry, SB RAS, Novosibirsk 630090, Russia

^g Laboratory of Nanodiagnostics and Nanolithography, Institute of Semiconductor Physics, SB RAS, Novosibirsk 630090, Russia

^h Center of Physical-Chemical Methods of Research and Analysis, Al Farabi Kazakh National University, Almaty 050040, Kazakhstan

ⁱ Laboratory of Crystal Chemistry, Nikolaev Institute of Inorganic Chemistry, SB RAS, Novosibirsk 630090, Russia

^j Hybrid Nanodevice Research Group (HNRG), Electrical Engineering and Centre for Advanced Electronics (CAE), Indian Institute of Technology Indore, Madhya Pradesh 453552, India

Abstract

The stoichiometry and phase homogeneity of the kesterite type compound Cu₂ZnSnS₄ play a key role in its efficiency in solar cells. In this work, CuCl₂, ZnCl₂ and SnCl₂ were applied as solvents in the Cu₂ZnSnS₄ crystal growth for the first time. The multiphase ingot was obtained by direct fusion of the stoichiometric batch composed of constituent elements. Compared to that, the material recrystallized in SnCl₂ presented a single-phase Zn-rich kesterite with composition Cu_1.94Zn_1.06SnS₄ and unit cell parameters of a = 5.4324(3) and c = 10.8383(2) Å. The crystal structure of Cu_1.94Zn_1.06SnS₄ was determined by single crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. The integral phase purity of the crystals grown with the use of the SnCl₂ solvent was verified by powder X-ray diffraction analysis and Raman measurements. In the Raman spectrum, the FWHM value of the 337 cm⁻¹ line was as low as 9.6 cm⁻¹ that indicates the minimal lattice disorder.

This article is part of the themed collection: Crystal Growth

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Cu₂ZnSnS₄ crystal growth using an SnCl₂ based flux†

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