Sb2Se3-Sensitized Inorganic-Organic Heterojunction Solar Cells Fabricated Using a Single-Source Precursor

Exploring the potential of standalone and tandem solar cells with Sb2S3 and Sb2Se3 absorbers: a simulation study

Thin-film antimony chalcogenide binary compounds are potential candidates for efficient and low-cost photovoltaic absorbers. This study investigates the performance of Sb2S3 and Sb2Se3 as photovoltaic absorbers, aiming to optimize their efficiency. The standalone Sb2S3 and Sb2Se3 sub-cells are analyzed using SCAPS-1D simulations, and then a tandem structure with Sb2S3 as the top-cell absorber and Sb2Se3 as the bottom-cell absorber is designed, using the filtered spectrum and the current matching technique. The optimal configuration for maximum efficiency is achieved by adjusting the thickness of the absorber layer. The results show that antimony chalcogenide binary compounds have great potential as photovoltaic absorbers, enabling the development of efficient and low-cost solar cells. A remarkable conversion efficiency of 22.2% is achieved for the optimized tandem cell structure, with absorber thicknesses of 420 nm and 1020 nm for the top and bottom sub-cells respectively. This study presents a promising approach towards high-performance tandem solar cells.

Comprehensive rear surface passivation of superstrate Sb2Se3 solar cells via post-deposition selenium annealing treatments and the application of an electron blocking layer

Sb2Se3, a quasi-1D structured binary chalcogenide, has great potential as a solar cell light absorber owing to its anisotropic carrier transport and benign grain boundaries when the absorber layer is...

Orientation Engineering in Low-Dimensional Crystal-Structural Materials via Seed Screening

The orientation of low-dimensional crystal-structural (LDCS) films significantly affects the performance of photoelectric devices, particularly in vertical conducting devices such as solar cells and light-emitting diodes. According to film growth theory, the initial seeds determine the final orientation of the film. Ruled by the minimum energy principle, lying (chains or layers parallel to the substrate) seeds bonding with the substrate through van der Waals forces are easier to form than standing (chains or layers perpendicular to the substrate) seeds bonding with the substrate by a covalent bond. Utilizing high substrate temperature to re-evaporate the lying seeds and preserve the standing seeds, the orientation of 1D crystal-structural Sb₂ Se₃ is successfully controlled. Guided by this seed screening model, highly [211]- and [221]-oriented Sb₂ Se₃ films on an inert TiO₂ substrate are obtained; consequently, a record efficiency of 7.62% in TiO₂ /Sb₂ Se₃ solar cells is achieved. This universal model of seed screening provides an effective method for orientation control of other LDCS films.

New Antimony Selenide/Nickel Oxide Photocathode Boosts the Efficiency of Graphene Quantum-Dot Co-Sensitized Solar Cells

A novel assembly of a photocathode and a photoanode is investigated to explore their complementary effects in enhancing the photovoltaic performance of a quantum-dot solar cell (QDSC). While p-type nickel oxide (NiO) has been used previously, antimony selenide (Sb₂Se₃) has not been used in a QDSC, especially as a component of a counter electrode (CE) architecture that doubles as the photocathode. Here, near-infrared (NIR) light-absorbing Sb₂Se₃ nanoparticles (NPs) coated over electrodeposited NiO nanofibers on a carbon (C) fabric substrate was employed as the highly efficient photocathode. Quasi-spherical Sb₂Se₃ NPs, with a band gap of 1.13 eV, upon illumination, release photoexcited electrons in addition to other charge carriers at the CE to further enhance the reduction of the oxidized polysulfide. The p-type conducting behavior of Sb₂Se₃, coupled with a work function at 4.63 eV, also facilitates electron injection to polysulfide. The effect of graphene quantum dots (GQDs) as co-sensitizers as well as electron conduits is also investigated in which a TiO₂/CdS/GQDs photoanode structure in combination with a C-fabric CE delivered a power-conversion efficiency (PCE) of 5.28%, which is a vast improvement over the 4.23% that is obtained by using a TiO₂/CdS photoanode (without GQDs) with the same CE. GQDs, due to a superior conductance, impact efficiency more than Sb₂Se₃ NPs do. The best PCE of a TiO₂/CdS/GQDs-nS^2-/S_n^2--Sb₂Se₃/NiO/C-fabric cell is 5.96% (0.11 cm² area), which, when replicated on a smaller area of 0.06 cm², is seen to increase dramatically to 7.19%. The cell is also tested for 6 h of continuous irradiance. The rationalization for the channelized photogenerated electron movement, which augments the cell performance, is furnished in detail in these studies.

Hydrazine solution processed Sb2S3, Sb2Se3 and Sb2(S(1-x)Se(x))3 film: molecular precursor identification, film fabrication and band gap tuning

Sb₂(S_1−xSe_x)₃ (0 ≤ x ≤ 1) compounds have been proposed as promising light-absorbing materials for photovoltaic device applications. However, no systematic study on the synthesis and characterization of polycrystalline Sb₂(S_1−xSe_x)₃ thin films has been reported. Here, using a hydrazine based solution process, single-phase Sb₂(S_1−xSe_x)₃ films were successfully obtained. Through Raman spectroscopy, we have investigated the dissolution mechanism of Sb in hydrazine: 1) the reaction between Sb and S/Se yields [Sb₄S₇]^2-/[Sb₄Se₇]^2- ions within their respective solutions; 2) in the Sb-S-Se precursor solutions, Sb, S, and Se were mixed on a molecular level, facilitating the formation of highly uniform polycrystalline Sb₂(S_1−xSe_x)₃ thin films at a relatively low temperature. UV-vis-NIR transmission spectroscopy revealed that the band gap of Sb₂(S_1−xSe_x)₃ alloy films had a quadratical relationship with the Se concentration x and it followed the equation , where the bowing parameter was 0.118 eV. Our study provides a valuable guidance for the adjustment and optimization of the band gap in hydrazine solution processed Sb₂(S_1−xSe_x)₃ alloy films for the future fabrication of improved photovoltaic devices.