Indium sulfide thin films as window layer in chemically deposited solar cells

• Published in: Thin solid films 2014-01, Vol.550, p.110-113
• Main Authors: Lugo-Loredo, S., Peña-Méndez, Y., Calixto-Rodriguez, M., Messina-Fernández, S., Alvarez-Gallegos, A., Vázquez-Dimas, A., Hernández-García, T.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Chemical bath deposition; Condensed matter: electronic structure, electrical, magnetic, and optical properties; Cross-disciplinary physics: materials science; rheology; Density; Deposition; Electrical properties of specific thin films; Electronic structure and electrical properties of surfaces, interfaces, thin films and low-dimensional structures; Energy; Exact sciences and technology; Indium; Indium sulfide; Indium sulfides; Liquid phase epitaxy; deposition from liquid phases (melts, solutions, and surface layers on liquids); Materials science; Methods of deposition of films and coatings; film growth and epitaxy; Natural energy; Optical properties and condensed-matter spectroscopy and other interactions of matter with particles and radiation; Optical properties of specific thin films; Photovoltaic cells; Photovoltaic conversion; Physics; Solar cells; Solar cells. Photoelectrochemical cells; Solar energy; Sulfur; Thin films
• ISSN: 0040-6090; 1879-2731
• DOI: 10.1016/j.tsf.2013.10.115

Indium sulfide (In2S3) thin films have been synthesized by chemical bath deposition technique onto glass substrates using In(NO3)3 as indium precursor and thioacetamide as sulfur source. X-ray diffraction studies have shown that the crystalline state of the as-prepared and the annealed films is β-In2S3. Optical band gap values between 2.27 and 2.41eV were obtained for these films. The In2S3 thin films are photosensitive with an electrical conductivity value in the range of 10−3–10−7(Ωcm)−1, depending on the film preparation conditions. We have demonstrated that the In2S3 thin films obtained in this work are suitable candidates to be used as window layer in thin film solar cells. These films were integrated in SnO2:F/In2S3/Sb2S3/PbS/C–Ag solar cell structures, which showed an open circuit voltage of 630mV and a short circuit current density of 0.6mA/cm2. •In2S3 thin films were deposited using the Chemical Bath Deposition technique.•A direct energy band gap between 2.41 to 2.27eV was evaluated for the In2S3 films.•We made chemically deposited solar cells using the In2S3 thin films.