Photovoltaic Performance Investigation of Superstrate Sb2Se3 Solar Cells with Non-toxic Zn(O,S) Buffer Layer via Magnetron Sputtering

Ayten Cantas

doi:10.17776/csj.1657583

Photovoltaic Performance Investigation of Superstrate Sb2Se3 Solar Cells with Non-toxic Zn(O,S) Buffer Layer via Magnetron Sputtering

Abstract

Antimony selenide (Sb2Se3) has received much attention as an absorber layer in thin-film solar cells due to its exceptional optoelectronic characteristics, abundance on Earth, and low toxicity; therefore, this research investigates the photovoltaic response of antimony selenide -based solar cells in superstrate structure. A larger bandgap zinc oxysulfide (Zn(O,S)) was employed as an alternate buffer layer rather than standard CdS. The influence of oxygen flow rates used during the growth of the Zn(O,S) buffer layer on the photovoltaic performance of solar cells was examined. Furthermore, the impact of the post-annealing time of the SLG/ITO/Zn(O,S)/Sb2Se3 solar cell structure on efficiency was investigated as well. The importance of the buffer layer's optical and electrical qualities in improving the photovoltaic parameters of solar cells was discussed. Moreover, the significance of the desired dominant crystal orientation and tightly bound surface structure in the absorber layer to obtain photo response from the solar cell and the effect of the post-annealing duration on these properties were also discussed. The results are promising for replacing an environmentally friendly zinc oxysulfide buffer layer with a cadmium sulfide buffer layer, which is conventionally used in Sb2Se3 solar cells.

Keywords

Sb2Se3, Zn(O,S), Magnetron sputtering, Superstrate, Solar Cell

Supporting Institution

The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TUBITAK)

Project Number

118F143

Ethical Statement

The author confirms that the research and writing of this manuscript were conducted in accordance with all relevant ethical guidelines.

Thanks

Research and Application Center for Quantum Technologies (RACQUT) Scientific Research Coordination Unit of Pamukkale University Seher Hazal Gundogan

References

Steinmann V., Chakraborty R., Rekemeyer PH., Siol S., Loic M., Polizzotti A., Yang C., Hartman K., Gradečak S, Zakutayev A., Gordon RG., Buonassisi T., Device engineering towards improved tin sulfide solar cell performance and performance reproducibility, 43rd Photovoltaic Specialists Conference, Portland, 2016, 1519-1522.
Unsal D.B., Impact of Solar Cell Infrastructures on Energy Efficiency in Power Grid Integration, Cumhuriyet Sci. J., 45(2) (2024) 309-321.
Lucas F.W.S., Zakutayev A., Research Update: Emerging chalcostibite absorbers for thin-film solar cells, APL Mater., 6(8) (2018) 1-13.
El Radaf I.M., Structural, optical, optoelectrical and photovoltaic properties of the thermally evaporated Sb2Se3 thin films, Appl. Phys. A, 125 (12) (2019) 1-11.
Gundogan S.H., Ozyuzer L., Aygun G., Cantas A., Magnetron Sputtering Deposition of Sb2Se3 Thin Films: Physical Property Characterizations and Its Relevance for Photovoltaics, 2nd International Conference on Photovoltaic Science and Technologies, Ankara, (2020), 1-6.
Sharma R., Schwarz C., Wiedeman D., Bissell E.T., Mills B., Sykes M., Stackawitz J., Klucinec J., Callahan D., Hu J.J., Banerjee P., Richardson K., Solution-based Sb2Se3 thin films for microphotonics, J.Opt. Microsyst., 4(3) (2024) 031203.
Zhao Y.Q., Wang S.Y., Li C., Che B., Chen X.L., Chen H.Y., Tang R.F., Wang X.M., Chen G.L., Wang T., Gong J.B., Chen T., Xiao X.D., Li J.M., Regulating deposition kinetics via a novel additive-assisted chemical bath deposition technology enables fabrication of 10.57 % efficiency Sb2Se3 solar cells, Energ. Environ. Sci., 15(12) (2022) 5118–5128.
Duan Z., Liang X., Feng Y., Ma H., Liang B., Wang Y., Luo S., Wang S., Schropp R.E.I., Mai Y., Li Z., Sb2Se3 Thin-Film Solar Cells Exceeding 10 % Power Conversion Efficiency Enabled by Injection Vapor Deposition Technology, Adv. Mater., 34 (30) (2022) 2202969.
Basak A., Singh U.P., Numerical modelling and analysis of earth abundant Sb2S3 and Sb2Se3 based solar cells using SCAPS-1D, In Sol. Energy Mater. Sol. Cells., 230 (2021) 111184.
Chen C., Zhao Y., Lu S., Li K., Li Y., Yang B., Chen W., Wang L., Li D., Deng H., Yi F., Tang J., Accelerated Optimization of TiO2/Sb2Se3 Thin Film Solar Cells by High-Throughput Combinatorial Approach, Adv. Energy Mater.,7 (20) (2017) 1700866.

Lu S., Zhao Y., Chen C., Zhou Y., Li D., Li K., Chen W., Wen X., Wang C., Kondrotas R., Lowe N., Tang J., Sb2Se3 Thin-Film Photovoltaics Using Aqueous Solution Sprayed SnO2 as the Buffer Layer, Adv. Electron. Mater., 4 (1) (2018) 1700329.
Wang L., Li D.B., Li K., Chen C., Deng H.X., Gao L., Zhao Y., Jiang F., Li L., Huang F., He Y., Song H., Niu G., Tang J., Stable 6 %-efficient Sb2Se3 solar cells with a ZnO buffer layer, Nat. Energy, 2 (4) (2017) 17046.
Li G., Li Z., Liang X., Guo C., Shen K., Mai Y., Improvement in Sb2Se3 Solar Cell Efficiency through Band Alignment Engineering at the Buffer/Absorber Interface, ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces, 11 (1) (2019) 828−834.
Wang C., Lu S., Li S., Wang S., Lin X., Zhang J., Kondrotas R., Li K., Chen C., Tang J., Efficiency improvement of flexible Sb2Se3 solar cells with non-toxic buffer layer via interface engineering, Nano Energy, 71 (2020) 104577.
Baig F., Khattak Y.H., Shuja A., Riaz K., Soucase B.M., Performance investigation of Sb2Se3 based solar cell by device optimization band offset engineering and Hole Transport Layer in SCAPS-1D, Curr. Appl. Phys., 20 (8) (2020) 973–981.
Li K., Kondrotas R., Chen C., Lu S., Wen X., Li D., Luo J., Zhao Y., Tang J., Improved efficiency by insertion of Zn1−xMgxO through sol-gel method in ZnO/Sb2Se3 solar cell, Sol. Energy, 167 (2018) 10–17.
Gharibshahian I., Orouji A.A., Sharbati S., Towards high efficiency Cd-Free Sb2Se3 solar cells by the band alignment optimization, Sol. Energy Mater. Sol. Cells., 212 (2020) 110581.
Larsson F., Donzel-Gargand O., Keller J., Edoff M., Torndahl T., Atomic layer deposition of Zn(O,S) buffer layers for Cu(In,Ga)Se2 solar cells with KF post-deposition treatment, Sol. Energy Mat. Sol. C., 183 (2018) 8-15.
Turkoglu F., Koseoglu H., Cantas A., Akca F.G., Meric E., Buldu D.G., Ozdemir M., Tarhan E., Ozyuzer L., Aygun G., Effect of defects and secondary phases in Cu2ZnSnS4 absorber material on the performance of Zn(O,S) buffered devices, Thin Solid Films, 670 (2019) 6-16.
Gharibshahian I., Orouji A.A., Sharbati S., Efficient Sb2(S,Se)3/Zn(O,S) solar cells with high open-circuit voltage by controlling sulfur content in the absorber-buffer layers, Sol. Energy., 227 (2021) 606–615.
Platzer-Björkman C., Törndahl T., Abou-Ras D., Malmström J., Kessler J., Stolt L., Zn(O, S) buffer layers by atomic layer deposition in Cu(In, Ga)Se2 based thin film solar cells: band alignment and sulfur gradient, J.Appl. Phy., 100 (4) (2006) 044506.
Jesu Jebathew A., Karunakaran M., Ade R., Ponraj J.S., Ganesh V., Manavalan R.K., Bitla Y., Yahia I.S., Algarni H., Highly sensitive hexagonal-shaped ZnS–Cu thin films for photo-detector applications, J. Mater Sci: Mater Electron., 33 (2022) 2192–2203.
Guc M., Neuschitzer M., Hariskos D., Bauer A., Witte W., Hempel W., CalvoBarrio L., Pistor P., Perez-Rodriguez A., Izquierdo-Roca V., Raman scattering quantitative assessment of the anion composition ratio in Zn(O,S) layers for Cd free chalcogenide-based solar cells, RSC Adv., 6 (29) (2016) 24536.
Serrano J., Cantarero A., Cardona M., Garro N., Lauck R., Tallman R.E., Ritter T.M., Weinstein B.A., Raman scattering in β-ZnS, Phys. Rev. B., 69 (1) (2004) 014301.
Bereznev S., Kocharyan H., Maticiuc N., Naidu R., Volobujeva O., Tverjanovich A., Kois J., One-stage pulsed laser deposition of conductive zinc oxysulfide layers, Appl. Surf. Sci., 425 (2017) 722-727.
Chen S., Hu X., Tao J., Xue J., Weng G., Jiang J., Shen X., Chen S., Effects of substrate temperature on material and photovoltaic properties of magnetron-sputtered Sb2Se3 thin films, Appl. Opt., 58 (11) (2011) 2823-2827.
Chen Z., Guo X., Guo H., Ma C., Qiu J., Yuan N., Ding J., Fabrication of a semi-transparent thin-film Sb2Se3 solar cell, Mater. Lett., 236 (2019) 503–505.
Cantas A., Investigation of thermally induced surface composition and morphology variation of magnetron sputtered Sb2Se3 absorber layer for thin film solar cells, Phys. Scr., 99 (10) (2024) 105993.
Govindharajulu S.M., Jain A.K., Piraviperumal M., Tuning the crystalline orientation of quasi 1D anisotropic Sb2Se3 as a function of growth temperature for thin film photovoltaic applications, J. Alloys Compd., 980 (2024) 173588.
Gundogan H., Ozyuzer L., Aygun G., Cantas A., The Effect of Ar Gas Flow Rate on Structure and Optical Properties of Magnetron Sputtered Sb2Se3 Thin Films for Solar Cells, 2nd International Conference on Photovoltaic Science and Technologies, Ankara, 2020, 1-8.
Fleck N., Hobson T.D.C., Savory C.N., Buckeridge J., Veal T.D., Correia M.R., Scanlon D.O., Durose K., Jackel F., Identifying Raman modes of Sb2Se3 and their symmetries using angle-resolved polarised Raman spectra, J. Mater. Chem. A., 8 (17) (2020) 8337-8344.
Shongalova A., Correia M.R., Vermang B., Cunha J.M.V., Salomé P.M.P., Fernandes P.A., On the identification of Sb2Se3 using Raman scattering, MRS Communications, 8 (3) (2018) 865-870.
Pereira A.L.J., Gracia L., Santamar´ıa-Perez D., Vilaplana R., Manjon F.J., Errandonea D., Nalin M., Beltran A., Structural and vibrational study of cubic Sb2O3 under high pressure, Phys. Rev. B- Condens., 85 (17) (2012)174108.
Cantas A., Gundogan S.H., Turkoglu F., Koseoglu H., Aygun G., Ozyuzer L., Photovoltaic performance of magnetron sputtered antimony selenide thin film solar cells buffered by cadmium sulfide and cadmium sulfide/zinc sulfide, Thin Solid Films, 784 (2023) 140070.
Razykov, T.M., Bosio, A., Kouchkarov, K.M., Khurramov, R.R., Tivanov, M.S., Bayko, D.S., Romeo A., Romeo N., Effect of substrate temperature on structure, morphology and optical properties of Sb2Se3 thin films fabricated by chemical-molecular beam deposition method from Sb and Se precursors for solar cells, Thin Solid Films, 791 (2024) 140218.
Pudov A., Kanevce A., Al-Thani H., Sites J., Hasoon F., Secondary barriers in CdS–CuIn1−xGaxSe2 solar cells, J.Appl. Phys., 97 (6) (2005) 064901.
Büttner P., Scheler F., Pointer C., Döhler D., Yokosawa T., Spiecker E., Boix P.P., Young E.R., Mínguez-Bacho I., Bachmann J., ZnS Ultrathin Interfacial Layers for Optimizing Carrier Management in Sb2S3-based Photovoltaics, ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces, 13 (10) (2021) 11861–11868.
Yang Z., Wang X., Chen Y., Zheng Z., Chen Z., Xu W., Zhu H., Ultrafast self-trapping of photoexcited carriers sets the upper limit on antimony trisulfide photovoltaic devices, Nat. Commun., 10 (1) (2019) 1-8.
Liu X., Cui H., Kong C., Hao X., Huang Y., Liu F., Song N., Conibeer G., Green M., Rapid thermal annealed Molybdenum back contact for Cu2ZnSnS4 thin film solar cells, Appl. Phys. Lett., 106 (13) (2015) 131110.
Shiel H., Hobson T.D., Hutter O.S., Phillips L.J., Smiles M.J., Jones L.A., Veal T.D., Band alignment of Sb2O3 and Sb2Se3, J. Appl. Phys., 129 (23) (2021) 235301.

Details

Primary Language

English

Subjects

Material Physics, Metrology, Applied and Industrial Physics

Journal Section

Research Article

Authors

Ayten Cantas ^*
0000-0002-6536-5516
Türkiye

Publication Date

September 30, 2025

Submission Date

March 14, 2025

Acceptance Date

August 12, 2025

Published in Issue

Year 2025 Volume: 46 Number: 3

DOI

https://doi.org/10.17776/csj.1657583

IZ

https://izlik.org/JA54AZ36UD

APA

Cantas, A. (2025). Photovoltaic Performance Investigation of Superstrate Sb2Se3 Solar Cells with Non-toxic Zn(O,S) Buffer Layer via Magnetron Sputtering. Cumhuriyet Science Journal, 46(3), 550-562. https://doi.org/10.17776/csj.1657583

AMA

1.Cantas A. Photovoltaic Performance Investigation of Superstrate Sb2Se3 Solar Cells with Non-toxic Zn(O,S) Buffer Layer via Magnetron Sputtering. CSJ. 2025;46(3):550-562. doi:10.17776/csj.1657583

Chicago

Cantas, Ayten. 2025. “Photovoltaic Performance Investigation of Superstrate Sb2Se3 Solar Cells With Non-Toxic Zn(O,S) Buffer Layer via Magnetron Sputtering”. Cumhuriyet Science Journal 46 (3): 550-62. https://doi.org/10.17776/csj.1657583.

EndNote

Cantas A (September 1, 2025) Photovoltaic Performance Investigation of Superstrate Sb2Se3 Solar Cells with Non-toxic Zn(O,S) Buffer Layer via Magnetron Sputtering. Cumhuriyet Science Journal 46 3 550–562.

IEEE

[1]A. Cantas, “Photovoltaic Performance Investigation of Superstrate Sb2Se3 Solar Cells with Non-toxic Zn(O,S) Buffer Layer via Magnetron Sputtering”, CSJ, vol. 46, no. 3, pp. 550–562, Sept. 2025, doi: 10.17776/csj.1657583.

ISNAD

Cantas, Ayten. “Photovoltaic Performance Investigation of Superstrate Sb2Se3 Solar Cells With Non-Toxic Zn(O,S) Buffer Layer via Magnetron Sputtering”. Cumhuriyet Science Journal 46/3 (September 1, 2025): 550-562. https://doi.org/10.17776/csj.1657583.

JAMA

1.Cantas A. Photovoltaic Performance Investigation of Superstrate Sb2Se3 Solar Cells with Non-toxic Zn(O,S) Buffer Layer via Magnetron Sputtering. CSJ. 2025;46:550–562.

MLA

Cantas, Ayten. “Photovoltaic Performance Investigation of Superstrate Sb2Se3 Solar Cells With Non-Toxic Zn(O,S) Buffer Layer via Magnetron Sputtering”. Cumhuriyet Science Journal, vol. 46, no. 3, Sept. 2025, pp. 550-62, doi:10.17776/csj.1657583.

Vancouver

1.Ayten Cantas. Photovoltaic Performance Investigation of Superstrate Sb2Se3 Solar Cells with Non-toxic Zn(O,S) Buffer Layer via Magnetron Sputtering. CSJ. 2025 Sep. 1;46(3):550-62. doi:10.17776/csj.1657583

Cited By

Evolution of electronic defect states in sb2se3 thin films: ımpact of phase transition and environmental aging

Applied Physics B

https://doi.org/10.1007/s00340-026-08686-1

Comprehensive characterization of silver-doped antimony selenide films: linking silver incorporation to photovoltaic suitability

Journal of Materials Science: Materials in Electronics

https://doi.org/10.1007/s10854-026-17099-x

As of 2026, Cumhuriyet Science Journal will be published in six issues per year, released in February, April, June, August, October, and December