The state and future prospects of kesterite photovoltaics

A recent meeting of experts in kesterite, chalcopyrite, and related thin-film solar cell devices; characterization; and modeling from industry, academia, and national labs identified high-impact pathways forward in kesterite photovoltaics research, towards the end-goal of achieving high-efficiency (>18%) devices in an accelerated timeframe. This paper summarizes the conclusions of this meeting while providing background on key areas of kesterite research. This paper does not aim to provide a comprehensive status-of-the-field review but rather to suggest specific and targeted areas where additional focus might yield the highest-impact results. A recent meeting of experts in kesterite and related photovoltaic materials yielded recommendations to accelerate this technology towards commercial-ready modules. This paper summarizes these conclusions while providing background on relevant areas.