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arXiv · 2506.01170

Superstrate structured Sb$_2$S$_3$ thin-film solar cells by magnetron sputtering of Sb and post-sulfurization

Evgeniia Gilshtein·Harshvardhan Maheshkant Gupta·Andrea Maria Pierri Enevoldsen·Cristina Besleaga·Aurelian Catalin Galca·Stela Canulescu
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Abstract

We report on the fabrication and optimization of semi-transparent antimony sulfide (Sb$_2$S$_3$) thin-film solar cells in a superstrate configuration, using RF magnetron sputtering of metallic antimony followed by post-deposition sulfurization. The influence of absorber and buffer layer thicknesses on device performance was systematically studied in FTO/CdS/Sb$_2$S$_3$/Spiro-OMeTAD/Au architectures. Optimizing the Sb$_2$S$_3$ absorber thickness to 100 nm yielded a champion device with a power conversion efficiency of 2.76\%, short-circuit current density of 14 mA/cm$^2$, and open-circuit voltage of 650 mV. The devices exhibit up to 20\% transmittance in the 380--740 nm wavelength range, indicating their suitability for indoor and building-integrated photovoltaic applications. Structural and compositional analyses confirmed high-purity Sb$_2$S$_3$ (more than 90 at.\%) and improved crystallinity after sulfurization. These results demonstrate the potential of sputtered Sb$_2$S$_3$ as a scalable and tunable absorber for emerging transparent thin-film solar technologies and highlight the critical role of thickness optimization and interface control in device performance.

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Evgeniia Gilshtein, Harshvardhan Maheshkant Gupta, Andrea Maria Pierri Enevoldsen, Cristina Besleaga, Aurelian Catalin Galca, Stela Canulescu. 2025-06-01. Superstrate structured Sb$_2$S$_3$ thin-film solar cells by magnetron sputtering of Sb and post-sulfurization. https://arxiv.org/abs/2506.01170

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