Atasoy, Yavuz2024-11-072024-11-0720220947-83961432-0630https://doi.org/10.1007/s00339-022-06188-3https://hdl.handle.net/11480/14229In this study, ACZTGSe thin films were fabricated by two-stage method to understand the effect of Ag and Ge incorporation in CZTSe system for the first time. For this purpose, sputtered (Ag-Cu-Zn-Sn-Ge)/evaporated (Se) precursor stacks were selenized at elevated temperatures (500-600 degrees C) for 3 min in rapid thermal processing system. The atomic ratios of the samples were adjusted to Ag/(Ag + Cu) = 0.10 and Ge/(Ge + Sn) = 0.05 and 0.30. The chemical composition of the films changed with the reaction temperature and by the degree of Ag-Ge co-doping. Moreover, Ge loss was more pronounced than Sn loss in the films due to the vapor pressure differences. Kesterite pure phase were acquired for CZTSe and ACZTGSe thin films after annealing treatment applied at 550 degrees C. Both XRD and Raman results revealed that Ag and Ge co-doped CZTSe thin films were successfully prepared. According to cross-sectional and surface images of the samples, it was deduced that incorporation of Ag and Ge into CZTSe lead to grain growth due to the liquid-assisted growth mechanism which was triggered by either Ag or Ge-based phases which acted as a fluxing agent. The band gap values shifted from 1.04 eV (CZTSe) to 1.14 eV (ACZTG(0.23)Se) for the thin films grown at 550 degrees C.eninfo:eu-repo/semantics/closedAccess(AgCu)(2)Zn(SnGe)Se-4 thin filmAg and Ge co-dopingAnnealing temperatureSputteringFluxing agentsArticle1281110.1007/s00339-022-06188-32-s2.0-85141214812Q2WOS:000879040800002Q2