Disorder and variable-range hopping conductivity in Cu2ZnSnS4 thin films prepared by flash evaporation and post-thermal treatment

•Cu2ZnSnS4 thin films were deposited by flash evaporation and subsequent thermal treatment under Ar atmosphere.•Resistivity of the evaporated films was investigated between 10 and 300 K.•The Ar pressure during the annealing treatment modified the electrical behavior of the films.•Mott variable-range hopping conduction was established for most of the samples.

Resistivity, ρ(T), of as-grown and annealed Cu2ZnSnS4 films, obtained by flash evaporation, is investigated between T ∼ 10 and 300 K. A correlation between the transport properties and the growth conditions of the thin films is also explored. The behavior of ρ(T) in the as-grown films exhibits a close proximity to the metal–insulator transition (MIT), whereas annealing shifts the material from the MIT towards an insulating side. This is attributable to an increased microscopic lattice disorder, which is substantiated by the analysis of the Mott variable-range hopping conductivity observed up to T ∼ 220–280 K (120–180 K) in the as-grown (annealed) films. An increased width of the acceptor band, a decreased relative acceptor concentration, N/Nc and lower values of the mean density of the localized states, g, are obtained after annealing.

Graphical abstractFigure optionsDownload full-size imageDownload as PowerPoint slide