Solar cells based on Sb2Se3 grown by chalcogenization of Sb thin films, using a novel designed furnace
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: Sb 2 Se 3 thin films prepared by chalcogenization of its metallic precursor , have been used as an active layer of solar cells. The samples were prepared using a reactor which allows growing Sb 2 Se 3 films by selenization of a Sb layer previously deposited on Mo covered glass substrates by evaporation. The selenization process was conducted in a controlled atmosphere of an Argon-Hydrogen mixture, followed by thermal annealing under elemental selenium in a tubular furnace heated by infrared lamps. The entire process was automatically controlled using algorithms developed in the LabView programming environment. Through a study of deposition conditions which included the effect of variables such as, furnace heating rate, final annealing target temperature, annealing time and partial pressure of H 2 +Ar mixture, conditions were found to grow single-phase Sb 2 S 3 films with good structural, optical and morphological properties, which indicates that the Sb 2 S 3 films prepared by the chalcogenisation routine developed in this work, can be used as an absorber layer in solar cells. An efficiency of 4.2% was achieved with devices fabricated using the Mo/Sb 2 Se 3 /CdS/i-ZnO/n+ ZnO/Ag architecture; this efficiency was improved to 5.3% by incorporating a TiO 2 layer between the Sb 2 Se 3 absorber and the CdS buffer to prevent degradation of the Sb 2 Se 3 absorber during the deposition of the CdS layer by Chemical Bath Deposition (CBD) method
Source: Results in Engineering
Authors: Gerardo Gordillo, Oscar Torres, Alvaro I. Mendez, Julian C. Pena-Bermudez
Language: English
Subfield: Electrical and Electronic Engineering
Field: Engineering
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $1,940
Funder: Universidad Nacional de Colombia
Award: G1864111465
OpenAlex ID: W4411118699