Kesterite tech news
On October 9, 2026, researchers published a study in ChemSusChem detailing a multifunctional chromium (Cr) cation--doping strategy to resolve severe bulk defects and interface recombination in earth--abundant kesterite (${\text{Cu}}_2{\text{ZnSn(S,Se)}}4$ or CZTSSe) thin--film solar cells. Open--circuit voltage deficits caused by poor back--contact interfaces and high defect densities have long constrained kesterite photovoltaics from reaching commercial viability. By introducing ${\text{Cr}}^{3+}$ ions into the absorber layer, the team facilitated balanced cation diffusion, eliminated structural voids at the back interface to enhance ohmic contact with the molybdenum (Mo) electrode, and suppressed deep--level recombination defects via targeted ${\text{Cr}}{\text{Zn}}$ defect states. The modification also optimized heterojunction band alignment, elevating the device's photoelectric conversion efficiency by 49%—from 8.48% to 12.61%—providing an effective chemical engineering pathway toward scalable, non--toxic thin--film solar modules.