CuSbSe2 as a Promising Earth-Abundant  Photovoltaic Absorber Material: Synthesis and  Structural Properties

Abubakar A Sifawa; Ibrahim Zakariya’u

doi:10.4314/cajost.v3i2.77

Authors

Abubakar A Sifawa Department of Physics, Sokoto State University Sokoto, Nigeria
Ibrahim Zakariya’u Department of Physics, Sokoto State University Sokoto, Nigeria

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.4314/cajost.v3i2.77

Keywords:

Ball milling, CuSbSe2, X-ray diffraction, Raman scattering

Abstract

In this work Chalcostibite CuSbSe2, a promising non-toxic and earth-abundant
absorber was synthesized using a mechanical alloying (MA) or ball milling
process and studied the structural and phase evolution. The collected sample
has been successfully characterized by XRD, Raman, FE-SEM and EDS. From
the XRD results analysis, it was found that CuSbSe2 single phase was formed
in 8 hours of milling. Raman shifts of 198, 222 and 259cm-1 for as-milled
CuSbSe2 had been recorded. EDS exhibits three strong peaks confirming the
purity of the sample by detecting only Cu, Sb and Se element respectively. The
main purpose of this research is to provide information on direct synthesis of
single phase synthesis of chalcostibite CuSbSe2 single phase at room
temperature by wet ball milling process, which has been successfully prepared
in a short duration for the first time