Spectral current-voltage analysis of kesterite solar cells

Current-voltage analysis using different optical band pass filters has been performed on Cu2ZnSnSe4 and Cu2ZnSn(S,Se) 4 thin-film solar cells. When using red or orange light (i.e. wavelengths above 600 nm), a distortion appears in the I-V curve of the Cu 2ZnSnSe4 solar cell, indicating an additional potential barrier to the current flow in the device for these conditions of illumination. This barrier is reduced when using a Cu2ZnSn(S,Se)4 absorber. Numerical simulations demonstrate that the barrier visible under red light could be explained by a positive conduction band offset at the front interface coupled with compensating defects in the buffer layer. © 2014 IOP Publishing Ltd.