The onset of copper-ion mobility and the electronic transition in the kesterite Cu2ZnGeSe4

Kesterite-related phases have attracted considerable interest as earth-abundant photovoltaic and thermoelectric materials. For the kesterite Cu2ZnGeSe4, we have established a direct link between anomalies in the temperature dependence of transport properties and an order-disorder transition. Powder neutron diffraction as a function of temperature reveals an order-disorder transition at 473 K, involving disordering of copper and zinc cations over three crystallographic positions. Vacancies are simultaneously created on the copper-ion sub-lattice, indicative of the concomitant onset of copper-ion mobility. Differential scanning calorimetry data show a weak thermal signature in this temperature region, typical of a second-order phase transition, which is consistent with the absence of anomalies in the temperature dependence of the unit cell volume. The partial melting of the copper-ion sub-lattice induces a transition in the electrical-transport properties. The changes in electrical resistivity and Seebeck coefficient suggest this involves a transition from a conventional, activated semiconductor, to a degenerate semiconductor. The entry of an increasing fraction of the copper-ion sub-lattice into a liquid-like state is reflected in a reduction in thermal conductivity above 473 K. The order-disorder phase transition identified here has consequences for the performance of photovoltaic and thermoelectric devices based on kesterites.