LAUSR

Abstract The adsorption and reaction mechanisms of Cu2ZnSnS4 (CZTS) quaternary compound deposited by the Successive Ionic Layer Adsorption and Reaction (SILAR) method are discussed. The understanding of nucleation and growth mechanisms of this material will improve the control of composition, homogeneity and final properties of the obtained thin films. Therefore, a half-cycle study of CZTS deposited by the SILAR method over CdS films was carried out, since the interface plays a critical role for its application in solar cells. In this way, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and UV–Vis spectroscopy were used to correlate the metal elemental composition in the thin film and the population of the metal ion complexes in a solution. This analysis revealed that copper adsorbs at the surface to a greater extent than Zn and Sn, achieving a stoichiometry ratio close to Cu: Zn: Sn: S to 3:1:1:5, even when the copper concentration is five times smaller. The growth rate, determined by XPS ultra-thin film analysis, was about 0.7 nm/cycle, which is consistent with an atomic layer by layer mode of growth.