Cu-Doped Sb<sub>2</sub>Se<sub>3</sub> Thin-Film Solar Cells Based on Hybrid Pulsed Electron Deposition/Radio Frequency Magnetron Sputtering Growth Techniques
In recent years, research attention has increasingly focused on thin-film photovoltaics utilizing Sb<sub>2</sub>Se<sub>3</sub> as an ideal absorber layer. This compound is favored due to its abundance, non-toxic nature, long-term stability, and the potential to employ various...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2024-02-01
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| Series: | Solar |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2673-9941/4/1/4 |
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| author | Roberto Jakomin Stefano Rampino Giulia Spaggiari Michele Casappa Giovanna Trevisi Elena Del Canale Enos Gombia Matteo Bronzoni Kodjo Kekeli Sossoe Francesco Mezzadri Francesco Pattini |
| author_facet | Roberto Jakomin Stefano Rampino Giulia Spaggiari Michele Casappa Giovanna Trevisi Elena Del Canale Enos Gombia Matteo Bronzoni Kodjo Kekeli Sossoe Francesco Mezzadri Francesco Pattini |
| author_sort | Roberto Jakomin |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | In recent years, research attention has increasingly focused on thin-film photovoltaics utilizing Sb<sub>2</sub>Se<sub>3</sub> as an ideal absorber layer. This compound is favored due to its abundance, non-toxic nature, long-term stability, and the potential to employ various cost-effective and scalable vapor deposition (PVD) routes. On the other hand, improving passivation, surface treatment and p-type carrier concentration is essential for developing high-performance and commercially viable Sb<sub>2</sub>Se<sub>3</sub> solar cells. In this study, Cu-doped Sb<sub>2</sub>Se<sub>3</sub> solar devices were fabricated using two distinct PVD techniques, pulsed electron deposition (PED) and radio frequency magnetron sputtering (RFMS). Furthermore, 5%Cu:Sb<sub>2</sub>Se<sub>3</sub> films grown via PED exhibited high open-circuit voltages (V<sub>OC</sub>) of around 400 mV but very low short-circuit current densities (J<sub>SC</sub>). Conversely, RFMS-grown Sb<sub>2</sub>Se<sub>3</sub> films resulted in low V<sub>OC</sub> values of around 300 mV and higher J<sub>SC</sub>. To enhance the photocurrent, we employed strategies involving a thin NaF layer to introduce controlled local doping at the back interface and a bilayer p-doped region grown sequentially using PED and RFMS. The optimized Sb<sub>2</sub>Se<sub>3</sub> bilayer solar cell achieved a maximum efficiency of 5.25%. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-24T17:49:35Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-91bf427b801a4ee7a2711b254eca89fb |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2673-9941 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-24T17:49:35Z |
| publishDate | 2024-02-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Solar |
| spelling | doaj.art-91bf427b801a4ee7a2711b254eca89fb2024-03-27T14:04:54ZengMDPI AGSolar2673-99412024-02-0141839810.3390/solar4010004Cu-Doped Sb<sub>2</sub>Se<sub>3</sub> Thin-Film Solar Cells Based on Hybrid Pulsed Electron Deposition/Radio Frequency Magnetron Sputtering Growth TechniquesRoberto Jakomin0Stefano Rampino1Giulia Spaggiari2Michele Casappa3Giovanna Trevisi4Elena Del Canale5Enos Gombia6Matteo Bronzoni7Kodjo Kekeli Sossoe8Francesco Mezzadri9Francesco Pattini10Campus Duque de Caxias, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro 25240-005, BrazilConsiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, IMEM Institute, 43124 Parma, ItalyConsiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, IMEM Institute, 43124 Parma, ItalyConsiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, IMEM Institute, 43124 Parma, ItalyConsiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, IMEM Institute, 43124 Parma, ItalyConsiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, IMEM Institute, 43124 Parma, ItalyConsiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, IMEM Institute, 43124 Parma, ItalyConsiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, IMEM Institute, 43124 Parma, ItalyCentre d′Excellence Régional pour la Maîtrise de l′Electricité (CERME), University of Lomé, Lomé 01 BP 1515, TogoConsiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, IMEM Institute, 43124 Parma, ItalyConsiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, IMEM Institute, 43124 Parma, ItalyIn recent years, research attention has increasingly focused on thin-film photovoltaics utilizing Sb<sub>2</sub>Se<sub>3</sub> as an ideal absorber layer. This compound is favored due to its abundance, non-toxic nature, long-term stability, and the potential to employ various cost-effective and scalable vapor deposition (PVD) routes. On the other hand, improving passivation, surface treatment and p-type carrier concentration is essential for developing high-performance and commercially viable Sb<sub>2</sub>Se<sub>3</sub> solar cells. In this study, Cu-doped Sb<sub>2</sub>Se<sub>3</sub> solar devices were fabricated using two distinct PVD techniques, pulsed electron deposition (PED) and radio frequency magnetron sputtering (RFMS). Furthermore, 5%Cu:Sb<sub>2</sub>Se<sub>3</sub> films grown via PED exhibited high open-circuit voltages (V<sub>OC</sub>) of around 400 mV but very low short-circuit current densities (J<sub>SC</sub>). Conversely, RFMS-grown Sb<sub>2</sub>Se<sub>3</sub> films resulted in low V<sub>OC</sub> values of around 300 mV and higher J<sub>SC</sub>. To enhance the photocurrent, we employed strategies involving a thin NaF layer to introduce controlled local doping at the back interface and a bilayer p-doped region grown sequentially using PED and RFMS. The optimized Sb<sub>2</sub>Se<sub>3</sub> bilayer solar cell achieved a maximum efficiency of 5.25%.https://www.mdpi.com/2673-9941/4/1/4pulsed electron depositionRF sputteringSb<sub>2</sub>Se<sub>3</sub>thin-film solar cells |
| spellingShingle | Roberto Jakomin Stefano Rampino Giulia Spaggiari Michele Casappa Giovanna Trevisi Elena Del Canale Enos Gombia Matteo Bronzoni Kodjo Kekeli Sossoe Francesco Mezzadri Francesco Pattini Cu-Doped Sb<sub>2</sub>Se<sub>3</sub> Thin-Film Solar Cells Based on Hybrid Pulsed Electron Deposition/Radio Frequency Magnetron Sputtering Growth Techniques Solar pulsed electron deposition RF sputtering Sb<sub>2</sub>Se<sub>3</sub> thin-film solar cells |
| title | Cu-Doped Sb<sub>2</sub>Se<sub>3</sub> Thin-Film Solar Cells Based on Hybrid Pulsed Electron Deposition/Radio Frequency Magnetron Sputtering Growth Techniques |
| title_full | Cu-Doped Sb<sub>2</sub>Se<sub>3</sub> Thin-Film Solar Cells Based on Hybrid Pulsed Electron Deposition/Radio Frequency Magnetron Sputtering Growth Techniques |
| title_fullStr | Cu-Doped Sb<sub>2</sub>Se<sub>3</sub> Thin-Film Solar Cells Based on Hybrid Pulsed Electron Deposition/Radio Frequency Magnetron Sputtering Growth Techniques |
| title_full_unstemmed | Cu-Doped Sb<sub>2</sub>Se<sub>3</sub> Thin-Film Solar Cells Based on Hybrid Pulsed Electron Deposition/Radio Frequency Magnetron Sputtering Growth Techniques |
| title_short | Cu-Doped Sb<sub>2</sub>Se<sub>3</sub> Thin-Film Solar Cells Based on Hybrid Pulsed Electron Deposition/Radio Frequency Magnetron Sputtering Growth Techniques |
| title_sort | cu doped sb sub 2 sub se sub 3 sub thin film solar cells based on hybrid pulsed electron deposition radio frequency magnetron sputtering growth techniques |
| topic | pulsed electron deposition RF sputtering Sb<sub>2</sub>Se<sub>3</sub> thin-film solar cells |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2673-9941/4/1/4 |
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