A simple colloidal route to nanocrystalline ZnO/CuInS2 bilayers

Communication: CuInS2 (CIS) films for solar energy applications are typical ly made by rapid thermal sintering of the elements on a molybdenum-coated g lass substrate. The photovoltaic cell is then completed by adding a CdS buf fer layer and an Al/ZnO transparent electrode, all in all an expensive proc ess. A low-cost colloidal route to nanocrystalline ZnO/CIS bilayers on indi um tin oxide (ITO) glass is presented here, together with the optical and e lectrical characterization of the films. The concentrated coating colloids with size-quantized CIS particles that were developed for the film depositi on are described.