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Multi‐Phase Sputtered TiO2‐Induced Current–Voltage Distortion in Sb2Se3 Solar Cells

Don, Christopher H.; Shalvey, Thomas P.; Smiles, Matthew J.; Thomas, Luke; Phillips, Laurie J.; Hobson, Theodore D. C.; Finch, Harry; Jones, Leanne A. H.; Swallow, Jack E. N.; Fleck, Nicole; Markwell, Christopher; Thakur, Pardeep K.; Lee, Tien‐Lin; Biswas, Deepnarayan; Bowen, Leon; Williamson, Benjamin A. D.; Scanlon, David O.; Dhanak, Vinod R.; Durose, Ken; Veal, Tim D.; Major, Jonathan D.

Multi‐Phase Sputtered TiO2‐Induced Current–Voltage Distortion in Sb2Se3 Solar Cells Thumbnail


Authors

Christopher H. Don

Thomas P. Shalvey

Matthew J. Smiles

Luke Thomas

Laurie J. Phillips

Theodore D. C. Hobson

Harry Finch

Leanne A. H. Jones

Jack E. N. Swallow

Nicole Fleck

Christopher Markwell

Pardeep K. Thakur

Tien‐Lin Lee

Deepnarayan Biswas

Leon Bowen leon.bowen@durham.ac.uk
Senior Manager (Electron Microscopy)

Benjamin A. D. Williamson

David O. Scanlon

Vinod R. Dhanak

Ken Durose

Tim D. Veal

Jonathan D. Major



Abstract

Despite the recent success of CdS/Sb2Se3 heterojunction devices, cadmium toxicity, parasitic absorption from the relatively narrow CdS band gap (2.4 eV) and multiple reports of inter-diffusion at the interface forming Cd(S,Se) and Sb2(S,Se)3 phases, present significant limitations to this device architecture. Among the options for alternative partner layers in antimony chalcogenide solar cells, the wide band gap, non-toxic titanium dioxide (TiO2) has demonstrated the most promise. It is generally accepted that the anatase phase of the polymorphic TiO2 is preferred, although there is currently an absence of analysis with regard to phase influence on device performance. This work reports approaches to distinguish between TiO2 phases using both surface and bulk characterization methods. A device fabricated with a radio frequency (RF) magnetron sputtered rutile-TiO2 window layer (FTO/TiO2/Sb2Se3/P3HT/Au) achieved an efficiency of 6.88% and near-record short–circuit current density (Jsc) of 32.44 mA cm−2, which is comparable to established solution based TiO2 fabrication methods that produced a highly anatase-TiO2 partner layer and a 6.91% efficiency device. The sputtered method introduces reproducibility challenges via the enhancement of interfacial charge barriers in multi-phase TiO2 films with a rutile surface and anatase bulk. This is shown to introduce severe S-shaped current–voltage (J–V) distortion and a drastic fill–factor (FF reduction in these devices.

Citation

Don, C. H., Shalvey, T. P., Smiles, M. J., Thomas, L., Phillips, L. J., Hobson, T. D. C., …Major, J. D. (2023). Multi‐Phase Sputtered TiO2‐Induced Current–Voltage Distortion in Sb2Se3 Solar Cells. Advanced Materials Interfaces, 10(20), https://doi.org/10.1002/admi.202300238

Journal Article Type Article
Acceptance Date May 31, 2023
Online Publication Date Jun 16, 2023
Publication Date 2023-07
Deposit Date Sep 18, 2023
Publicly Available Date Sep 18, 2023
Journal Advanced Materials Interfaces
Electronic ISSN 2196-7350
Publisher Wiley
Peer Reviewed Peer Reviewed
Volume 10
Issue 20
DOI https://doi.org/10.1002/admi.202300238
Keywords Mechanical Engineering; Mechanics of Materials
Public URL https://durham-repository.worktribe.com/output/1740841

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