Blocking recombination centers by controlling the charge density of a sulfur vacancy in antimony trisulfide

By performing nonadiabatic molecular dynamics combined with ab initio time-domain density functional theory, we have explored the effects of the charge density of a sulfur vacancy on charge trapping and recombination in antimony trisulfide (Sb₂S₃). The simulations demonstrate that, compared to an antimony vacancy, the sulfur vacancy generates a high charge density trap state within the band gap. This state acts as the recombination center and provides new channels for charge carrier relaxation. Filling the sulfur vacancy with electron donors elevates the defect state to the Fermi level due to the introduced extra electrons. In contrast, the electron acceptor lowers the charge density of the sulfur vacancy by capturing its local electrons, eliminating the charge recombination center and extending the photo-generated charge carrier lifetime. Additionally, compared with electron injection, hole injection can also decrease the charge density of the trap state via neutralizing its local electronic states, eliminate the trap state within the band gap, and suppress nonradiative electron-hole recombination. This study is expected to shed new light on the blocking recombination centers and provide valuable insights into the design of high-performance solar cells.