Absorber layer optimisation of copper antimony sulfide thin film photovoltaics using numerical simulation

The effect of boron doping on the optical, morphological and structural properties of Cu3SbS3thin films preparedviaspin coating

“…1 Comparison of the rate of presence in the soil and price of the elements commonly used in photovoltaic devices. 7 acid solution dissolved in ethanol was prepared and mixed using a magnetic stirrer for 2 h. Then, prepared solutions were mixed in the following molar ratios: Cu/S (1 : 1), Sb/S (1 : 1), Cu/ Sb/S (0.1 : 1 : 1; 0.3 : 1 : 1; 0.5 : 1 : 1; 1 : 0.1 : 1; 1 : 0.3 : 1; 1 : 0.5 : 1) and Cu/Sb/S/B (1 : 0.1 : 1 : 0.1; 1 : 0.3 : 1 : 0.1; 1 : 0.5 : 1 : 0.1). A few drops of nitric acid were added to the solutions for complete dissolution, and they were stirred using a magnetic stirrer for 24 h. Glass substrates used for thin film coating were cleaned for 15 min successively in acetone, isopropyl alcohol and deionized (DI) water in an ultrasonic bath.…”

“…[1][2][3][4][5] Although a record efficiency (26.7%) has been achieved with solar cells based on silicon (Si) technology, which dominates 90% of today's photovoltaic (PV) market, the high cost and material consumption of Si technology (for both mono-and poly-crystalline cells) necessitate the search for new technologies. 6,7 As a result of ongoing studies, organic-inorganic hybrid, organic and inorganic thinfilm solar cell varieties have been developed. 8 Continuous research on inorganic thin-film solar cells has shown remarkable developments with Cu(In,Ga)Se 2 (CIGS) and CdTe thin film solar cells, which provide high power conversion efficiencies of 22.6% and 22.1%, respectively.…”

“…However, despite their high power conversion efficiencies, the elemental scarcity of In, the toxicity of Cd and the high cost of Ga limit the widespread use of this technology. 7,9,10 As an alternative to these, new solar cell concepts such as organic solar cells, perovskite solar cells (PSCs) (lead-free in particular 1,4,5 ), quaternary kesterite compound Cu 2 ZnSn(SSe) 4 (CZTSSe) solar cells, dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) and quantum dot solar cells have been developed in the past decade. 8 The quaternary kesterite compound Cu 2 ZnSn(SSe) 4 (CZTSSe), which is non-toxic and has a high amount of precursor elements, is a suitable material for photovoltaic applications with optoelectronic properties similar to CIGS.…”

“…1). 7,19 CAS compounds, with potential applications in the field of photo-electrochemical cells, topological insulators, thermoelectricity, photovoltaics and supercapacitors, have attracted much attention from researchers because they are cheap, contain sustainable constituent elements, are low in toxicity and have high absorption coefficient values (B10 5 cm À1 ). [20][21][22][23] The CAS material group is formed in different crystalline phases, such as Cu 12 SbS 13 (tetrahedrite), Cu 3 SbS 3 (skinnerite and wittichenite), CuSbS 2 (chalcostobite) and Cu 3 SbS 4 (famatinite), due to small structural changes in the coordination sphere of Sb atoms.…”

“…In addition, PV devices that use CuSbS 2 thin films as absorbent layers have serious problems, such as poor repeatability and relatively low efficiency values (3.22%). 7,26,27 In these studies, it has been estimated that the CuSbS 2 phase has an indirect band gap with a low gap mobility, indicating that it is unlikely to achieve the desired transport properties for use in photovoltaic applications. Subsequent studies have shown that Sb rich samples of this material can lead to the desired stoichiometry and an improved performance in photovoltaic cells.…”