Solvothermal synthesis and characterization of a CuInTe2 absorber for thin-film photovoltaics

A solution-based process was developed for the preparation of a CuInTe2 material that can be used as an absorber in thin-film photovoltaics. We performed a solvothermal synthesis under specific processing conditions to generate the CuInTe2 material. The resulting product showed different diffraction patterns and morphology depending on the reaction time and temperature. We optimized the preparation process by investigating the reaction parameters to obtain CuInTe2 particles with the desired properties. The resulting product exhibited a broad absorption spectrum from the near infrared through the visible region and had a favorable absorption coefficient.