Chalcogenisation of Cu-Sb metallic precursors into Cu3Sb(SexS1-x)3

Maiello, Pietro, Zoppi, Guillaume, Miles, Robert, Pearsall, Nicola and Forbes, Ian (2013) Chalcogenisation of Cu-Sb metallic precursors into Cu3Sb(SexS1-x)3. Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells, 113. pp. 186-194. ISSN 0927-0248

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Official URL: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.solmat.2013.02.016

Abstract

Cu3SbS3 is a novel chalcogenide semiconductor with p-type conductivity and an energy bandgap of 1.84 eV. By incorporating selenium into this material to form Cu3Sb(SexS1−x)3 where x=Se/(Se+S), the energy bandgap can be altered to be in the range 1.38–1.84 eV for 0<x<0.49. The energy bandgap can hence be adjusted to be near the optimum for making the absorber layer for use in single and multi-junction photovoltaic solar cell devices. In this paper these materials were prepared using a two-stage process that involved magnetron sputtering of the Cu–Sb precursor layers followed by conversion to Cu3SbS3 by annealing in the presence of elemental sulphur and to Cu3Sb(SxSe1−x)3 by annealing in the presence of a mixture of sulphur and selenium. The films synthesised were characterised using scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive x-ray analysis, x-ray diffraction, secondary ion mass spectroscopy and photo-electrochemical measurements. When the Cu3SbS3 was formed on glass substrates it had a cubic crystal structure whereas when it was formed on Mo-coated glass it had the monoclinic crystal structure. Likewise the layers of Cu3Sb(S,Se)3 formed on Mo-coated glass also had the monoclinic crystal structure. Spectral response curves were recorded over the spectral range 400–1400 nm for semiconductor—electrolyte junctions. Photovoltaic solar cell devices were made using p-type Cu3Sb(SxSe1−x)3 as the absorber layer and n-type CdS as the buffer layer. The photovoltaic effect was observed in these devices.

Item Type: Article
Additional Information: Funding information: The authors acknowledge support of the UK Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council SUPERGEN Initiative for the program ‘PV-21'.
Uncontrolled Keywords: Thin films, Cu3Sb(S,Se)3, sulfurization, selenisation, photovoltaics
Subjects: F200 Materials Science
Department: Faculties > Engineering and Environment > Mathematics, Physics and Electrical Engineering
Depositing User: Guillaume Zoppi
Date Deposited: 20 Mar 2013 16:40
Last Modified: 19 May 2022 12:30
URI: http://nrl.northumbria.ac.uk/id/eprint/11515

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