Synthesis and X-Ray Studies of Cu 2 ZnGe 1 – x Si x Se 4 Solid Solutions

— The quaternary compounds Cu 2 ZnGeSe 4 , Cu 2 ZnSiSe 4 and their solid solutions are synthesized from the elementary components Cu, Zn, Ge, Si, and Se by the single-temperature synthesis method. The unit-cell parameters of the synthesized compounds and Cu 2 ZnGe 1 – x Si x Se 4 solid solutions are determined at room temperature by X-ray diffraction (XRD). It is shown that the unit-cell parameters a , b , and c decrease as x increases. It is found that two series of solid solutions are formed in the Cu 2 ZnGe 1 – x Si x Se 4 system: one is based on the Cu 2 ZnGeSe 4 compound and the other is based on Cu 2 ZnSiSe 4 .