A critical review of solution-process engineering for kesterite thin-film solar cells: current strategies and prospects

Junjie Fu, Jin Yang, Weiwei Dong, Shu Ren, Haonan Zhu, Yusen Wang, Jianchao Hao, Jinhu Wu, Rongzhi Wang, Dandan Zhao, Yange Zhang and Zhi Zheng

J. Mater. Chem. A, 2024, 12, 545
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Crystallization mechanism and defect passivation of Cu2ZnSn(S,Se)4 thin film solar cells via in situ potassium doping

Liangzheng Dong, Shengye Tao, Ming Zhao, Daming Zhuang, Yafei Wang, Hanpeng Wang, Mengyao Jia, Junsu Han and Hongwei Zhu

J. Mater. Chem. A, 2023, 11, 20139
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Enhancing CZTSSe solar cells through electric field induced ion migration

A. O'Neill, Eunae Jo, Eunyoung Choi, Jongsung Park, Jin Hyeok Kim, J. S. Yun and J. Seidel

J. Mater. Chem. A, 2022, 10, 5642
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Progress and prospectives of solution-processed kesterite absorbers for photovoltaic applications

Lijing Wang, Yufei Wang, Zhengji Zhou, Wenhui Zhou, Dongxing Kou, Yuena Meng, Yafang Qi, Shengjie Yuan, Litao Han and Sixin Wu

Nanoscale, 2023, 15, 8900
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Reducing carrier recombination loss by suppressing Sn loss and defect formation via Ag doping in Cu2ZnSn(S,Se)4 solar cells

SeongYeon Kim, Jaebaek Lee, Dae-Ho Son, Wook Hyun Kim, Shi-Joon Sung, Dae-Kue Hwang, Tae Ei Hong, Namuundari Otgontamir, Enkhjargal Enkhbayar, Tae-Hee Lee, Min-Yeong Kim, Ji-Soo Choi, Sang-Mo Koo, JunHo Kim, Jin-Kyu Kang, Dae-Hwan Kim and Kee-Jeong Yang

Energy Environ. Sci., 2024, 17, 8609
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Improvement of the performance of Cu2ZnSn(S,Se)4 solar cells by annealing Li-doped Cu2ZnSnS4 precursor films in air

Yuting Sun, Bin Yao, Yuhong Jiang, Yongfeng Li, Xiaobo Du, Zhanhui Ding, Jiayong Zhang, Chunkai Wang, Ding Ma, Mengge Li, Yan Zhu, Xiaofei Sun, Ning Ding and Liyuan Shi

J. Mater. Chem. A, 2025
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Defect engineering of solution-processed ZnO:Li window layers towards high-efficiency and low-cost kesterite photovoltaics

Qian Xiao, Dongxing Kou, Wenhui Zhou, Zhengji Zhou, Shengjie Yuan, Yafang Qi, Yuena Meng, Litao Han, Zhi Zheng and Sixin Wu

J. Mater. Chem. A, 2023, 11, 11161
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11.5% efficient Cu2ZnSn(S,Se)4 solar cell fabricated from DMF molecular solution

Chuanyou Niu, Yuancai Gong, Ruichan Qiu, Qiang Zhu, Yage Zhou, Shasha Hao, Weibo Yan, Wei Huang and Hao Xin

J. Mater. Chem. A, 2021, 9, 12981
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Efficiency enhancement of CZTSe solar cells based on in situ K-doped precursor

Shengye Tao, Liangzheng Dong, Junsu Han, Yafei Wang, Qianming Gong, Jinquan Wei, Ming Zhao and Daming Zhuang

J. Mater. Chem. A, 2023, 11, 9085
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Regulating charge carrier recombination in Cu2ZnSn(S,Se)4 solar cells via cesium treatment: bulk and interface effects

Xiaoyue Zhao, Yafang Qi, Zhengji Zhou, Dongxing Kou, Wenhui Zhou, Yuena Meng, Shengjie Yuan, Litao Han and Sixin Wu

J. Mater. Chem. A, 2023, 11, 11454
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CZTSSe solar cells: insights into interface engineering

Yimeng Li, Hao Wei, Changcheng Cui, Xiao Wang, Zhipeng Shao, Shuping Pang and Guanglei Cui

J. Mater. Chem. A, 2023, 11, 4836
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Enhancing the Efficiency of CZTSSe Solar Cells by Optimizing K-Doping Concentration and Selenization Temperature

Xiaofei Sun, Mengge Li, Bin Yao, Yongfeng Li, Zhanhui Ding, Ding Ma, Yuting Sun, Yan Zhu, Ning Ding, Liyuan Shi and Shuang Li

ACS Appl. Energy Mater., 2025, 8, 1879
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High efficiency CZTSSe solar cells enabled by dual Ag-passivation approach via aqueous solution process

Temujin Enkhbat, Enkhjargal Enkhbayar, Namuundari Otgontamir, Md Hamim Sharif, Md Salahuddin Mina, Seong Yeon Kim and JunHo Kim

Journal of Energy Chemistry, 2023, 77, 239
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Simultaneous carrier concentration regulation and grain boundary passivation enable over 14 % efficient Ag-alloyed kesterite solar cells

Mengyang Wang, Yu Mao, Wenjian Chan, Yuanyuan Huang, Yanmei Deng, Ziyang Ren, Ening Gu, Xianzhong Lin and Guowei Yang

Chemical Engineering Journal, 2025, 522, 167531
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A high effciency (11.06 %) CZTSSe solar cell achieved by combining Ag doping in absorber and BxCd1-xs/caztsse heterojunction annealing

Ding Ma, Mengge Li, Bin Yao, Yongfeng Li, Zhanhui Ding, Jiayong Zhang, Chunkai Wang, Yuting Sun, Yue Liu, Yan Zhu, Xiaofei Sun, Ning Ding and Liyuan Shi

Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells, 2024, 276, 113037
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Defect suppression for high-efficiency kesterite CZTSSe solar cells: Advances and prospects

Hao Wei, Yimeng Li, Changcheng Cui, Xiao Wang, Zhipeng Shao, Shuping Pang and Guanglei Cui

Chemical Engineering Journal, 2023, 462, 142121
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Visual Color Change During Spin‐coating Guiding the Quality of Cu2ZnSn(S,Se)4 Films

Zuoyun Wang, Rutao Meng, Hongling Guo, Yali Sun, Xuejun Xu, Han Xu, Jianpeng Li and Yi Zhang

Small Methods, 2024, 8
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Potassium doping for grain boundary passivation and defect suppression enables highly-efficient kesterite solar cells

Yingfen Li, Zhiqi Wang, Yunhai Zhao, Dajun Luo, Xueliang Zhang, Jun Zhao, Zhenghua Su, Shuo Chen and Guangxing Liang

Chinese Chemical Letters, 2024, 35, 109468
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Ge-assisted band engineering and efficiency enhancement in panchromatic Cu2ZnSnSe4 quantum dot-sensitized solar cells

Xia Wang, Jun Kong and Jialei Liu

J Mater Sci: Mater Electron, 2024, 35
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Enhancing the value of environment-friendly CZTS compound for next generation photovoltaic device: A review

Tahta Amrillah

Solar Energy, 2023, 263, 111982
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Flexible Cu2ZnSn(S,Se)4 thin film solar cells with lithium doping via doctor blading

Han Xu, Sijie Ge, Tao Wang, Ening Gu and Xianzhong Lin

Sci. China Mater., 2024, 67, 67
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Disentangling Carrier‐Transport and Interfacial Carrier‐Recombination by Mitigating Na Interstitials for 11.9% Efficient Cd‐Free Cu2ZnSnS4 Solar Cells

Xiaojie Yuan, Jianjun Li, Lishuang Zhang, Jialiang Huang, Jialin Cong, Karen Privat, Zhou Xu, Yin Yao, Guojun He, Ao Wang, Xin Cui, Robert J. Patterson, Kaiwen Sun, Martin A. Green and Xiaojing Hao

Small, 2025, 21
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Attaining 15.1% Efficiency in Cu2ZnSnS4 Solar Cells Under Indoor Conditions Through Sodium and Lithium Codoping

Yuancai Gong, Alex Jimenez‐Arguijo, Ivan Caño, Romain Scaffidi, Claudia Malerba, Matteo Valentini, David Payno, Alejandro Navarro‐Güell, Oriol Segura‐Blanch, Denis Flandre, Bart Vermang, Alejandro Perez‐Rodriguez, Sergio Giraldo, Marcel Placidi, Zacharie Jehl Li‐Kao and Edgardo Saucedo

Solar RRL, 2025, 9
DOI: 10.1002/solr.202400756

Surface defect ordered Cu2ZnSn(S,Se)4 solar cells with efficiency over 12% via manipulating local substitution

Changcheng Cui, Dongxing Kou, Wenhui Zhou, Zhengji Zhou, Shengjie Yuan, Yafang Qi, Zhi Zheng and Sixin Wu

Journal of Energy Chemistry, 2022, 67, 555
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Passivation of Grain Boundaries and Defects in CZTSSe Solar Cells by In Situ Na Doping

Liangzheng Dong, Shengye Tao, Ming Zhao, Daming Zhuang, Qianming Gong, Hongwei Zhu, Yafei Wang, Yuxian Li, Hanpeng Wang, Mengyao Jia and Jing Li

Solar RRL, 2023, 7
DOI: 10.1002/solr.202300061

A feasible and effective solution-processed PCBM electron extraction layer enabling the high VOC and efficient Cu2ZnSn(S, Se)4 devices

Licheng Lou, Yuancai Gong, Jiazheng Zhou, Jinlin Wang, Xiao Xu, Kang Yin, Biwen Duan, Huijue Wu, Jiangjian Shi, Yanhong Luo, Dongmei Li, Hao Xin and Qingbo Meng

Journal of Energy Chemistry, 2022, 70, 154
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Ge‐Doped CZTSe Solar Cell Efficiency Beyond 14% by Suppressing Recombination

Shengye Tao, Hanpeng Wang, Mengyao Jia, Junsu Han, Zhihao Wu, Jihui Zhou, Maria Baranova, Hongwei Zhu, Ming Zhao and Daming Zhuang

Adv Funct Materials, 2025, 35
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Suppression of Deep‐Level Defects Recombination in Cu2ZnSn(S, Se)4 Solar Cells Through Rear‐Interface Cesium Doping

Xueyun Zhang, Jialiang Huang, Jialin Cong, Kaiwen Sun, Fangyang Liu and Xiaojing Hao

Small, 2025, 21
DOI: 10.1002/smll.202411241

Modifying Surface Termination by Bidentate Chelating Strategy Enables 13.77% Efficient Kesterite Solar Cells

Lei Cao, Lijing Wang, Zhengji Zhou, Tianxiang Zhou, Rui Li, Hao Zhang, Zhiteng Wang, Sixin Wu, Adel Najar, Qingwen Tian and Shengzhong (Frank) Liu

Advanced Materials, 2024, 36
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Cu2ZnSn(S,Se)4 solar cells with over 10% power conversion efficiency enabled by dual passivation strategy

Letu Siqin, Wenjing Xin, Ruijian Liu, Hongmei Luan, Lei Wang, Yiming Wang, Shuyu Li, Jingyuan Guo, Yu He, Jiayong Zhang, Bin Yao and Chengjun Zhu

Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells, 2024, 272, 112880
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Li‐Doping and Ag‐Alloying Interplay Shows the Pathway for Kesterite Solar Cells with Efficiency Over 14%

Yuancai Gong, Alex Jimenez‐Arguijo, Axel Gon Medaille, Simon Moser, Arindam Basak, Romain Scaffidi, Romain Carron, Denis Flandre, Bart Vermang, Sergio Giraldo, Hao Xin, Alejandro Perez‐Rodriguez and Edgardo Saucedo

Adv Funct Materials, 2024, 34
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Research progress of kesterite solar cells

Yunhai Zhao, Shuo Chen, Zhenghua Su, Jingting Luo, Xianghua Zhang and Guangxing Liang

Chin. Sci. Bull., 2023
DOI: 10.1360/TB-2023-0395

Exploring the Synthesis of Cu2(Zn,Cd)SnS4 at High Temperatures as a Route for High‐Efficiency Solar Cells

Outman El Khouja, Yuancai Gong, Alex Jimenez‐Arguijo, Maykel Jimenez Guerra, Axel Gon Medaille, Romain Scaffidi, Arindam Basak, Cristian Radu, Denis Flandre, Bart Vermang, Sergio Giraldo, Marcel Placidi, Zacharie Jehl Li‐Kao, Aurelian Catalin Galca and Edgardo Saucedo

Progress in Photovoltaics, 2025, 33, 628
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Favorable Bonding and Band Structures of Cu2ZnSnS4 and CdS Films and Their Photovoltaic Interfaces

Matthew J. Turnbull, Yun Mui Yiu, Maxwell Goldman, Tsun-Kong Sham and Zhifeng Ding

ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces, 2022, 14, 32683
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Recent progress in defect engineering for kesterite solar cells

Kaiwen Sun, Jialiang Huang, Jianjun Li, Chang Yan and Xiaojing Hao

Sci. China Phys. Mech. Astron., 2023, 66
DOI: 10.1007/s11433-022-1939-6

Heterojunction reconstruction via In doping towards high-efficiency CZTSSe solar cells

Changcheng Cui, Junjie Fu, Dongxing Kou, Yimeng Li, Hao Wei, Zucheng Wu, Wenhui Zhou, Zhengji Zhou, Shengjie Yuan, Yafang Qi, Shuping Pang, Zhipeng Shao, Sixin Wu and Guanglei Cui

Chemical Engineering Journal, 2023, 476, 146701
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Impact of oxygen incorporation on interface optimization and defect suppression for efficiency enhancement in Cu2ZnSn(S,Se)4 solar cells

Shicheng Deng, Songfan Wang, Yuanyuan Wang, Qian Xiao, Yuena Meng, Dongxing Kou, Wenhui Zhou, Zhengji Zhou, Zhi Zheng and Sixin Wu

Journal of Energy Chemistry, 2024, 95, 77
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Optimized grain growth for efficient solution-processed Bi-doped Cu2ZnSn(S,Se)4 thin film solar cells via spin-coated layers adjustment and two-step selenization

Na Zhao, Yingrui Sui, Meiling Ma, Tianyue Wang, Chang Miao, Zhanwu Wang, Lili Yang, Fengyou Wang and Bin Yao

Ceramics International, 2024, 50, 11085
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Plasmonic Local Electric Field-Enhanced Interface toward High-Efficiency Cu2ZnSn(S,Se)4 Thin-Film Solar Cells

Yanping Guo, Jichun Zhu, Dongxing Kou, Wenhui Zhou, Zhengji Zhou, Shengjie Yuan, Yafang Qi, Yuena Meng, Litao Han, Zhi Zheng and Sixin Wu

ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces, 2022, 14, 26690
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Enhancing photovoltaic performance of GeSe thin film solar cells by photogenerated carriers redistribution via Cu doping

Jing Zhou, Li Gao, ShengWen Yang, Zhenming Qu, Yu Cao, Jinbo Pang, Jian Ni and Jianjun Zhang

Applied Surface Science, 2025, 682, 161675
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Rational Design of Heterojunction Interface for Cu2ZnSn(S,Se)4 Solar Cells to Exceed 12% Efficiency

Junjie Fu, Qingwen Tian, Yachao Du, Qianqian Chang, Yanping Guo, Shengjie Yuan, Zhi Zheng, Sixin Wu and Shengzhong (Frank) Liu

Solar RRL, 2022, 6
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Gradient Conduction Band Energy Engineering Driven High‐Efficiency Solution‐Processed Cu2ZnSn(S,Se)4/ZnxCd1–x S Solar Cells

Zhen Xu, Qianqian Gao, Changcheng Cui, Shengjie Yuan, Dongxing Kou, Zhengji Zhou, Wenhui Zhou, Yuena Meng, Yafang Qi, Muhammad Ishaq, Usman Ali Shah and Sixin Wu

Adv Funct Materials, 2023, 33
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ZnO1−xSx Solid Solution as Potential Buffer Layer Materials for Cu2ZnSnS4‐Based Thin Film Solar Cells: Structural and Interfacial Properties

Yi‐Man Zhang, Zhan‐Ju Jia, Zong‐Yan Zhao and Yun‐Kun Zhao

Adv Materials Inter, 2022, 9
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Suppressing harmful defects to enhance the performance of kesterite solar cells via extra Mg-doping

Yajin Mi, Yanchun Yang, Guonan Cui, Rui Wang, Lulu Bai, Zhihui Gong, Shuyu Li, Xiaogong Lv, Yongjun Cao and Chengjun Zhu

Journal of Alloys and Compounds, 2024, 1005, 176127
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Effects of bending stress on structural and electrical properties of flexible CZTSSe thin film solar cells

Jinze Li and Jie Xu

J Mater Sci: Mater Electron, 2023, 34
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Regulating the NaSex-assisted crystallization of Cu2ZnSn(S,Se)4 film by modifying the reaction between Na source and Se in co-selenization process

Chao Gao, Yuzhou Sun, Tingchun Wu, Hao Li, Yang Liu, Qing Zhou, Zeran Gao, Xinzhan Wang, Jianjun Li and Wei Yu

Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells, 2025, 292, 113771
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Improvement of Performance of Cu2ZnSn(S, Se)4 Solar Cells by Low‐Temperature Annealing of B‐Doped CdS

Ding Ma, Mengge Li, Bin Yao, Yongfeng Li, Zhanhui Ding, Jiayong Zhang, Chunkai Wang, Yuting Sun, Yue Liu, Xiaofei Sun and Yan Zhu

Solar RRL, 2023, 7
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Cs‐treatments in Kesterite Thin‐Film Solar Cells for Efficient Perovskite Tandems

Sun Kyung Hwang, So Jeong Park, Jae Hyun Park, Joo Ho Yoon, Jae Yu Cho, Deok Ki Cho, Jaeyeong Heo, Gee Yeong Kim and Jin Young Kim

Small, 2024, 20
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Wide band gap Cu2ZnGe(S,Se)4 thin films and solar cells: Influence of Na content and incorporation method

Andrea Ruiz-Perona, Maxim Guc, Yudania Sánchez, Tim Kodalle, José M. Merino, Máximo León and Raquel Caballero

Solar Energy, 2021, 226, 251
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Insights into the Efficiency Improvement for CZTSSe Solar Cells with over 12% Efficiency via Ga Incorporation

Xiangyun Zhao, Yining Pan, Wangxian Chen, Wentong Yang, Qiang Zeng, Linhong Li, Xiang Liao, Zongliang Zhang, Siliang Liu, Yanqing Lai and Fangyang Liu

Adv Funct Materials, 2023, 33
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