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Aqueous‐Solution‐Based Approach Towards Carbon‐Free Sb 2 S 3 Films for High Efficiency Solar Cells
Author(s) -
Li Shi'ang,
Zhang Yan,
Tang Rongfeng,
Wang Xiaomin,
Zhang Tong,
Jiang Guoshun,
Liu Weifeng,
Zhu Changfei,
Chen Tao
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
chemsuschem
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.412
H-Index - 157
eISSN - 1864-564X
pISSN - 1864-5631
DOI - 10.1002/cssc.201801336
Subject(s) - aqueous solution , materials science , annealing (glass) , chalcogenide , chemical engineering , heterojunction , fabrication , solar cell , energy conversion efficiency , dissolution , solution process , nanotechnology , thin film , chemistry , optoelectronics , metallurgy , organic chemistry , engineering , medicine , alternative medicine , pathology
Sb 2 S 3 is a new kind of photovoltaic material that is promising for practical application in solar cells owing to its suitable bandgap, earth‐abundant elements, and excellent stability. Here, we report on an aqueous‐solution‐based approach for the synthesis of Sb 2 S 3 films from easily accessible Sb 2 O 3 as antimony source. In this reaction, 3‐mercaptopropionic acid was applied as both solvent and sulfur precursor, aqueous ammonia was employed as a solvent. After simple annealing at a temperature as low as 270 °C, the spin‐coated precursor solution can generate compact, flat, uniform, and well‐crystallized Sb 2 S 3 film. Mechanistic study showed that the formation of Sb‐complex with ammonium carboxylates leads to the successful dissolution of Sb 2 O 3 powder. A suitable annealing process was able to generate carbon‐free Sb 2 S 3 films. Planar heterojunction solar cell based on the as‐prepared Sb 2 S 3 film delivered a power conversion efficiency of 5.57 %, which is the highest efficiency of solution‐processed planar heterojunction Sb 2 S 3 solar cells and a high value in all kinds of Sb 2 S 3 solar cells. This research provides a convenient approach for the fabrication of device‐quality Sb 2 S 3 films, and highlights solution processing of carbon‐free metal chalcogenide thin films as a suitable process for application in optoelectronic devices.