Publications

Energy Materials Laboratory

Publications

Efficiency boosting in Sb2(S,Se)3 solar cells enabled by tailoring bandgap gradient via a hybrid growth method
Authors
Yazi Wang, Seunghwan Ji, Choongman Moon, Jinwoo Chu, Hee Joon Jung and Byungha Shin
Journal
Journal of Materials Chemistry A
Vol
11
Page
23071-23079
Year
2023

Antimony selenosulfide (Sb2(S,Se)3) solar technology has garnered widespread interest in recent years due to its exceptional photovoltaic properties and excellent stability. The hydrothermal deposition method has enabled cell efficiencies of over 10% in state-of-the-art Sb2(S,Se)3 solar cells. Nevertheless, issues arising from the hydrothermal method, such as the formation of an inappropriate bandgap gradient during film growth and the loss of S and Se during the annealing process, remain unresolved. To address these challenges, we developed a hybrid growth method with a specific emphasis on optimizing the unfavorable bandgap gradient. This method consists of two stages: the first stage involves hydrothermal deposition, while the second stage employs vapor transport deposition. By controlling the second-stage process, two types of optimized bandgap gradients have been achieved. As a result, the short-circuit current density (Jsc) and fill factor (FF) of Sb2(S,Se)3 solar cells with a superstrate configuration of Glass/Fluorine-doped Tin Oxide/CdS/Sb2(S,Se)3/Poly(triaryl amine)/Au were significantly improved, resulting in a promising efficiency approaching 8%. The enhanced Jsc and FF can be attributed to the tailored bandgap gradient of the Sb2(S,Se)3 film fabricated using the hybrid method. This work presents a viable approach to enhance the device performance of Sb2(S,Se)3 solar cells and sheds new light on the fabrication of high-performance Sb2(S,Se)3-based photovoltaic devices.