First-principles study of defect formation in the photovoltaic semiconductors Cu2GeS3 and Cu2ZnGeS4 for comparison with Cu2SnS3, Cu2ZnSnS4, and CuInSe2

Abstract

The formation energies of neutral Cu, Ge, and S vacancies in monoclinic Cu2GeS3 and those of neutral Cu, Zn, Ge, and S vacancies in kesterite-type Cu2ZnGeS4 were evaluated by first-principles pseudopotential calculations using plane-wave basis functions. The calculations were performed at typical points in a schematic ternary phase diagram of a Cu–Ge–S system for Cu2GeS3 and in Cu–(Zn1/2Ge1/2)–S and Cu29S16–ZnS–GeS2 pseudoternary phase diagrams for Cu2ZnGeS4. The results have been compared with those for Cu2SnS3, Cu2ZnSnS4, and CuInSe2 calculated with the same version of the CASTEP program code. The results indicate that Cu vacancies are easily formed in Cu2GeS3 and Cu2ZnGeS4 under the Cu-poor condition as in the cases of Cu2SnS3, Cu2ZnSnS4, and CuInSe2, suggesting that Cu2GeS3 and Cu2ZnGeS4 are also preferable p-type absorber materials for thin-film solar cells. Desirable preparation conditions of these thin films for photovoltaic application are discussed using the calculated formation energies of antisite defects.