Efficient planar Sb2S3 solar cells using a low-temperature solution-processed tin oxide electron conductor.

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Renewable Energy
• Photovoltaics

Background:

• Antimony sulfide (Sb2S3) is a promising absorber material for low-cost solar cells.
• Conventional Sb2S3 solar cells often require high-temperature processing for electron transport layers like titanium dioxide (TiO2).
• Developing low-temperature fabrication methods is crucial for scalable and economical photovoltaic technologies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop efficient planar antimony sulfide (Sb2S3) heterojunction solar cells using low-temperature processed materials.
• To investigate the performance of tin oxide (SnO2) as an electron conductor in Sb2S3 solar cells compared to titanium dioxide (TiO2).
• To simplify the fabrication process of Sb2S3 solar cells by eliminating high-temperature steps.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of planar Sb2S3 heterojunction solar cells using chemical bath deposited (CBD) Sb2S3 absorber, solution-processed SnO2 electron conductor, and poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) hole conductor.
• Device architecture: F-doped SnO2 substrate/SnO2/CBD-Sb2S3/P3HT/Au.
• Performance evaluation under 1 sun illumination.

Main Results:

• Achieved a power conversion efficiency of 2.8% for planar Sb2S3 solar cells with SnO2 electron conductor.
• Solar cells using TiO2 as electron conductor showed a lower efficiency of 1.9%.
• The developed planar devices exhibited a simpler geometry and fewer fabrication steps compared to conventional methods.

Conclusions:

• Low-temperature solution-processed SnO2 is an effective electron conductor for planar Sb2S3 solar cells.
• The SnO2-based devices offer enhanced performance due to high transparency, uniform surface, efficient electron transport, suitable band alignment, and reduced interfacial recombination.
• This approach provides a simplified and efficient pathway for fabricating Sb2S3 solar cells.