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CuSbSe 2 as a Potential Photovoltaic Absorber Material: Studies from Theory to Experiment
Author(s) -
Xue DingJiang,
Yang Bo,
Yuan ZhenKun,
Wang Gang,
Liu Xinsheng,
Zhou Ying,
Hu Long,
Pan Daocheng,
Chen Shiyou,
Tang Jiang
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
advanced energy materials
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 10.08
H-Index - 220
eISSN - 1614-6840
pISSN - 1614-6832
DOI - 10.1002/aenm.201501203
Subject(s) - materials science , photovoltaic system , band gap , solar cell , thin film , optoelectronics , raman spectroscopy , engineering physics , nanotechnology , optics , physics , ecology , biology
CuSbSe 2 appears to be a promising absorber material for thin‐film solar cells due to its attractive optical and electrical properties, as well as earth‐abundant, low‐cost, and low‐toxic constituent elements. However, no systematic study on the fundamental properties of CuSbSe 2 has been reported, such as defect physics, material, optical, and electrical properties, which are highly relevant for photovoltaic application. First, using density functional theory calculations, CuSbSe 2 is shown to have benign defect properties, i.e., free of recombination‐center defects, and flexible defect and carrier concentration which can be tuned through the control of growth condition. Next, systematic material, optical, and electrical characterizations uncover many unexplored fundamental properties of CuSbSe 2 including band position, temperature‐dependent band gap energy, Raman spectrum, and so on, thus providing a solid foundation for further photovoltaic research. Finally, a prototype CuSbSe 2 ‐based thin film solar cell is fabricated by a hydrazine solution process. The systematic theoretical and experimental investigation, combined with the preliminary efficiency, confirms the great potential of CuSbSe 2 for thin‐film solar cell applications.