The effect of dextrin addition during Cu2ZnSnS4 thin film preparation by photochemical deposition

Cu2ZnSnS4 (CZTS) thin films were prepared by annealing films of Cu2S, ZnS, and SnS2 precursors deposited on a soda-lime glass substrate by photochemical deposition (PCD) from an aqueous solution containing CuSO4, ZnSO4, SnSO4, and Na2S2O3. This paper discusses the effect of adding dextrin as a titrant during the PCD preparation of CZTS thin films. We investigated the effects of dextrin addition on the surface morphology of the resulting films. The surfaces of films prepared with added dextrin were composed of uniformly sized grains. The results also demonstrate that the surface morphology of photochemically deposited CZTS films can be smooth if the proper additives are employed. (© 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)