Comparison of buffer layers on SnS thin‐film solar cells prepared by co‐evaporation

The binary compound SnS consists of elements that are non‐toxic, inexpensive, and abundant in the Earth's crust. It is a p‐type semiconductor with a band gap energy of 1.3 eV and an absorption coefficient of 104 cm−1, and is therefore a potential candidate for use as a solar cell absorber mater...

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Published inPhysica status solidi. C Vol. 14; no. 6
Main Authors Yago, Aimi, Sasagawa, Shohei, Akaki, Yoji, Nakamura, Shigeyuki, Oomae, Hiroto, Katagiri, Hironori, Araki, Hideaki
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Berlin WILEY‐VCH Verlag Berlin GmbH 01.06.2017
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Subjects
Absorptivity
buffer layer
Buffer layers
Cadmium sulfide
co‐evaporation
Current density
Earth crust
Energy gap
Evaporation
Molybdenum
P-type semiconductors
Photovoltaic cells
Short circuits
Silicon wafers
Solar cells
thin film solar cells
Thin films
Tin sulfide (SnS)
Zinc oxide
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Summary:The binary compound SnS consists of elements that are non‐toxic, inexpensive, and abundant in the Earth's crust. It is a p‐type semiconductor with a band gap energy of 1.3 eV and an absorption coefficient of 104 cm−1, and is therefore a potential candidate for use as a solar cell absorber material. In this study, SLG/Mo/SnS/CdS/ZnO:Al/Al and SLG/Mo/SnS/ZnO/ZnO:Al/Al SnS thin‐film solar cells with different buffer layers were fabricated using a co‐evaporation method. The dependence of the photovoltaic properties of the SnS thin‐film solar cells with CdS or ZnO as the buffer layer was investigated. We demonstrate that the device with a ZnO buffer layer exhibited higher conversion efficiency and short‐circuit current density compared to the device with a CdS buffer layer.
ISSN:1862-6351
1610-1642
DOI:10.1002/pssc.201600194