Heterojunction interface engineering of C60 electron transport layer insertion enables efficient Cd-free Sb2Se3 solar cells

• Published in: Surfaces and interfaces Vol. 50; p. 104453
• Main Authors: Duan, Chunyan, Luo, Ping, Hu, Changji, Hu, Wenrong, Imran, Tahir, Su, Zhenghua, Zhang, Xianghua, Tang, Rong, Liang, Guangxing, Chen, Shuo
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier B.V 01.07.2024; Elsevier
• Subjects: C60 electron transport layer; Chemical Sciences; Interface engineering; Interfacial recombination; Sb2Se3; Solar cell; Solar cell; Sb2Se3; Interface engineering; C60 electron transport layer; Interfacial recombination
• ISSN: 2468-0230; 2468-0230
• DOI: 10.1016/j.surfin.2024.104453

Antimony selenide (Sb2Se3) emerges as a promising semiconductor for solar energy conversion, attributed to its high light absorption and excellent photoelectric properties, coupled with notable stability and consistent stoichiometry. Yet, its application in thin-film solar cells is limited by non-radiative recombination losses at suboptimal heterojunction interfaces. Addressing this, we propose a strategy employing a C60 electron transport layer (ETL), thermally evaporated between the Sb2Se3 absorber and SnOx buffer layer. This approach not only increases the carrier density in SnOx but also passivates harmful defects like VO and OH−, thus reducing interfacial recombination. Incorporating C60 ETL improves the fill factor (FF) and open-circuit voltage (VOC) of the Sb2Se3 device, achieving a maximum power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 6.65 %. This finding highlights the significance of ETL-dependent interfacial engineering in enhancing Sb2Se3 solar cell performance, offering a novel and accessible solution to the primary challenge in developing Cd-free Sb2Se3 solar cells. [Display omitted]