Improvement of photovoltaic performance on inverted chalcostibite CuSbS2 solar cells using Sr-doped TiO2 window layers

• Published in: Journal of materials science. Materials in electronics 2024-05, Vol.35 (15), p.1015, Article 1015
• Main Authors: Chinnaiyah, Sripan, Naik, Ramakanta, Ramesh Babu, R.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Characterization and Evaluation of Materials; Chemistry and Materials Science; Efficiency; Electron beams; Energy conversion efficiency; Field emission microscopy; Field emission spectroscopy; Light irradiation; Materials Science; Nanorods; Nanostructure; Nanostructured materials; Optical and Electronic Materials; Photoelectrons; Photovoltaic cells; Raman spectroscopy; Solar cells; Spectrum analysis; Thin films; Titanium dioxide; X ray photoelectron spectroscopy; Zinc oxide; Zinc oxides
• ISSN: 0957-4522; 1573-482X
• DOI: 10.1007/s10854-024-12752-9

In our recent study, we delved into the exploration of solution-processed copper antimony sulfide (CuSbS 2 , referred to as CAS) nanostructured materials.Upon verifying its purity, we employed this nanostructured material as a key constituent in the production of thin films via the electron beam evaporation method. We comprehensively analyzed the characteristics of a thin film made from CAS. To thoroughly examine its properties, we employed a variety of analytical techniques, including X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, Field emission scanning electron microscopy, Energy dispersive spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and UV–Visible spectroscopy. To assess the influence of architectural adjustments on the efficiency of solar cells, we conducted modifications by substituting the standard intrinsic-zinc oxide (i–ZnO) window layer with a one-dimensional (1D) n-type TiO 2 /Sr-doped TiO 2 and integrating an active layer composed of CAS. Notably, the solar cell utilizing Sr-doped TiO 2 nanorod thin films achieved a power conversion of 1.4% under simulated solar light irradiation at 1000 Wm −2 . This efficiency stands out significantly when contrasted to solar cells based on undoped TiO 2 . The increase in conversion efficiency observed in the Sr-doped TiO 2 nanorod thin films is primarily attributed to two key factors: the rapid transport of electrons within the TiO 2 nanorod thin films and the positive shift of the flat band potentials.