Interface Engineering via Sputtered Oxygenated CdS:O Window Layer for Highly Efficient Sb2Se3 Thin-Film Solar Cells with Efficiency Above 7% Academic Article uri icon

abstract

  • Antimony chalcogenide Sb2Se3 is an emerging photovoltaic absorber due to its appropriate bandgap (1.1eV), high absorption coefficient (>105cm1), suitable ptype conductivity, low toxicity, earth abundance, and excellent stability. However, the stringent growth condition and low photovoltage limit its power conversion efficiency (PCE). Herein, via a combined theoretical and experimental study, interface engineering via an oxygenated cadmium sulfide (CdS) window layer (CdS:O) is found to be an effective approach to improve the device performance of CdS:O/Sb2Se3 solar cells. The sputtered oxygenated CdS:O window layer can be used to replace conventional chemicalbathdeposited CdS window layer in the Sb2Se3 devices. The best PCE of 7.01% is demonstrated in the superstrate configuration of fluorinedoped SnO2/CdS:O/Sb2Se3/graphite with a high opencircuit voltage of 0.432V, where Sb2Se3 is fabricated using the close space sublimation technique. The interfacial diffusion between Sb2Se3 and sputtered CdS:O is significantly suppressed by introducing oxygen at the interface, which prevents Cd diffusion and the formation of Cd interstitials. Combined device physics characterizations and theoretical calculations reveal that oxygen in the CdS:O/Sb2Se3 interface can increase depletion region, builtin voltage, and reduce interfacial recombination. These findings provide the guidance to optimize quasionedimensional noncubic earthabundant chalcogenide photovoltaic devices through interface engineering.

published proceedings

  • SOLAR RRL

author list (cited authors)

  • Guo, L., Zhang, B., Ranjit, S., Wall, J., Saurav, S., Hauser, A. J., ... Yan, F.

citation count

  • 41

complete list of authors

  • Guo, Liping||Zhang, Baiyu||Ranjit, Smriti||Wall, Jacob||Saurav, Swapnil||Hauser, Adam J||Xing, Guozhong||Li, Lin||Qian, Xiaofeng||Yan, Feng

publication date

  • October 2019

publisher