Recent advances and new research trends in Sb2S3 thin film based solar cells

Although many environmentally friendly and non-toxic materials have been investigated for photovol-taic conversion (PVC) applications, Sb2S3 is the material of choice as an absorber in thin-film solar cells due to its broad-band optical response and excellent electrical properties. Though an Sb2S3 thin-film was predicted to have a 28% efficiency, the reported efficiency of 7% is significantly lower than the theo-retically predicted efficiency and less competitive compared to other similar thin-film solar cells. This review investigates how structural and morphological changes in Sb2S3 thin films contribute to the current state of Sb2S3 solar cell development to understand and improve current device performance. We first discuss the fundamental structure and properties of Sb2S3 and then show how morphology and structural changes in Sb2S3 thin films produced using various fabrication techniques and conditions affect solar cell performance. This research includes several significant recent developments and current research trends that will pave the way for future improvements in the performance of Sb2S3-based photovoltaic solar cells.& COPY; 2023 Vietnam National University, Hanoi. Published by Elsevier B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).

Automated summary

Although many environmentally friendly and non-toxic materials have been investigated for photovoltaic conversion (PVC) applications, Sb2S3 is the preferred material due to its optical response and electrical properties. However, its efficiency is lower than predicted, and this review aims to understand and improve current device performance by studying structural and morphological changes in Sb2S3 thin films. The research discusses the fundamental properties of Sb2S3 and how fabrication techniques and conditions affect solar cell performance.