Jing Zhou , Shengwen Yang , Li Gao , Zhenming Qu , Yu Cao , Xiaoming Yu , Xuan Yu , Jian Ni , Jianjun Zhang
{"title":"Interface-enhanced germanium selenide solar cells comprising an ultrathin and uniform antimony selenide buffer layer via hydrothermal approach","authors":"Jing Zhou , Shengwen Yang , Li Gao , Zhenming Qu , Yu Cao , Xiaoming Yu , Xuan Yu , Jian Ni , Jianjun Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.solmat.2024.113260","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Germanium selenide (GeSe) is a promising thin film photovoltaic absorber material owing to its excellent optoelectronic properties, high stability, and low toxicity. Interface engineering by introducing an ultrathin antimony selenide (Sb<sub>2</sub>Se<sub>3</sub>) buffer layer between the CdS electron transport layer and GeSe absorber layer is an effective technique for enhancing solar cell performance. However, the key to this technique is the fabrication of a uniform and smooth Sb<sub>2</sub>Se<sub>3</sub> buffer layer with minimal thickness. In this study, instead of the conventional closed-space sublimation method, a hydrothermal method was employed to slowly grow an Sb<sub>2</sub>Se<sub>3</sub> buffer layer with a thickness of approximately 8 nm. The Se/Na<sub>2</sub>SO<sub>3</sub> molar ratio in the selenium source during the hydrothermal synthesis was adjusted; a molar ratio of 1:2 led to an uneven Sb<sub>2</sub>Se<sub>3</sub> buffer layer thickness, whereas a molar ratio of 1:10 resulted in the formation of Sb<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub> particles on the buffer layer surface. When the Se/Na<sub>2</sub>SO<sub>3</sub> molar ratio was 1:6, a smooth, uniform, dense, and impurity-free Sb<sub>2</sub>Se<sub>3</sub> buffer layer was obtained, achieving the highest efficiency of 3.33 % in a GeSe solar cell. Moreover, GeSe solar cells with hydrothermally grown Sb<sub>2</sub>Se<sub>3</sub> buffer layers demonstrated superior device interface properties and efficiency comparable with those using Sb<sub>2</sub>Se<sub>3</sub> buffer layers deposited via closed-space sublimation. This technique offers an effective method for steadily improving the performance of GeSe solar cells.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":429,"journal":{"name":"Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells","volume":"279 ","pages":"Article 113260"},"PeriodicalIF":6.3000,"publicationDate":"2024-10-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells","FirstCategoryId":"88","ListUrlMain":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0927024824005725","RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q2","JCRName":"ENERGY & FUELS","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Germanium selenide (GeSe) is a promising thin film photovoltaic absorber material owing to its excellent optoelectronic properties, high stability, and low toxicity. Interface engineering by introducing an ultrathin antimony selenide (Sb2Se3) buffer layer between the CdS electron transport layer and GeSe absorber layer is an effective technique for enhancing solar cell performance. However, the key to this technique is the fabrication of a uniform and smooth Sb2Se3 buffer layer with minimal thickness. In this study, instead of the conventional closed-space sublimation method, a hydrothermal method was employed to slowly grow an Sb2Se3 buffer layer with a thickness of approximately 8 nm. The Se/Na2SO3 molar ratio in the selenium source during the hydrothermal synthesis was adjusted; a molar ratio of 1:2 led to an uneven Sb2Se3 buffer layer thickness, whereas a molar ratio of 1:10 resulted in the formation of Sb2O3 particles on the buffer layer surface. When the Se/Na2SO3 molar ratio was 1:6, a smooth, uniform, dense, and impurity-free Sb2Se3 buffer layer was obtained, achieving the highest efficiency of 3.33 % in a GeSe solar cell. Moreover, GeSe solar cells with hydrothermally grown Sb2Se3 buffer layers demonstrated superior device interface properties and efficiency comparable with those using Sb2Se3 buffer layers deposited via closed-space sublimation. This technique offers an effective method for steadily improving the performance of GeSe solar cells.
期刊介绍:
Solar Energy Materials & Solar Cells is intended as a vehicle for the dissemination of research results on materials science and technology related to photovoltaic, photothermal and photoelectrochemical solar energy conversion. Materials science is taken in the broadest possible sense and encompasses physics, chemistry, optics, materials fabrication and analysis for all types of materials.