Synthesis and characterization of Cu2CoSnS4 thin film via electrodeposition technique for solar cells

Quaternary compound Cu2CoSnS4 (CCTS) is a potential candidate absorber layer in thin film solar cells to produce clean and inexhaustible energy. In this work the Cu2CoSnS4 (CCTS) thin film was synthesized for the first time by co-electrodeposition of Cu–Co–Sn–S precursors on Molybdenum substrate, followed by a high temperature (500 °C) sulfurization under Argon atmosphere. The potential deposition (−0.95 V/SCE) was determined from cyclic voltammetry . The structure, composition and morphology of the CCTS thin film is characterized in detail by X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersion spectroscopy. The p-type conductivity of CCTS thin film was confirmed using Mott–Schottky analysis and the band gap value was evaluated to be 1.56 eV, which makes CCTS a promising material for solar cell applications.