ZnS was chemically deposited as a buffer layer alternative to CdS, for use as a Cd-free buffer layer in Cu(In_1-xGa_x)Se₂ (CIGS) solar cells. The deposition of a thin film of ZnS was carried out by chemical bath deposition, following which the structural and optical properties of the ZnS layer were studied. For the experiments, zinc sulfate hepta-hydrate (ZnSO₄·7H₂O), thiourea (SC(NH₂)₂), and ammonia (NH₄OH) were used as the reacting agents. The mole concentrations of ZnSO₄ and SC(NH₂)₂ were fixed at 0.03 M and 0.8 M, respectively, while that of ammonia, which acts as a complexing agent, was varied from 0.3 M to 3.5 M. By varying the mole concentration of ammonia, optimal values for parameters like optical transmission, deposition rate, and surface morphology were determined. For the fixed mole concentrations of 0.03 M ZnSO₄·7H₂O and 0.8 M SC(NH₂)₂, it was established that 3.0 M of ammonia could provide optimal values of the deposition rate (5.5 nm/min), average optical transmittance (81%), and energy band gap (3.81 eV), rendering the chemically deposited ZnS suitable for use as a Cd-free buffer layer in CIGS solar cells.

CIGS is one of thin film solar cell and has been studied so much, because of the possibility of low price and high efficiency. Until now, co-evaporation and sputtering were typical method to prepare CIGS absorption layer, and a few company commercialized solar cell by these method. However,non-vacuum process which has been studied for long time has not been progressed, though the merit of low price. Especially, aerosol deposition method has not been reported, because it is difficult to prepare a large quantity of various CIGS powder. In this study, CIGS powder was synthesized by mechanochemical method and CIGS absorption layer was deposited by aerosol deposition method. The thickness of the CIGS layer was controlled by the number of deposition and the surface roughness of it was affected by the amount of flow gas. And, also, I-V curve of it appeared metallic property in the case of ‘as deposition’. After heat treatment in Se-rich atmosphere, the electrical property of it changed to a semiconductor. CdS and transparent conduction layer were formed by a typical method on it for solar cell. The efficiency of cell was appeared 0.19%. Though the efficiency was low because of the disharmony in the after-process, it was conformed that CIGS solar cell could be prepared by aerosol deposition.