Synergistic effects of high-pressure processing and interface engineering in Sb2Se3/CdS photovoltaic devices

Abstract

We report an innovative high-pressure post-deposition annealing for co-evaporated Sb2Se3 absorber layers, demonstrating for its effectiveness for enhancing the crystallographic texture along the [00 l] direction. This process promotes growth parallel to the c-axis, favoring carrier transport and yielding highly crystalline films with crystallite sizes exceeding 100 nm. Nonetheless, despite improved structural properties, photovoltaic performance remained limited by interface quality. To address this, we implemented UV-O3 and KCN etching treatments, which significantly enhanced the Sb2Se3/CdS interface, leading to conversion efficiencies up to 5.8 %. XPS, UPS, and contact angle measurements confirmed that these treatments selectively modify the interface without altering bulk properties. Thus, this work highlights high-pressure treatments combined with targetes interface engineering as a promising strategy for optimizing Sb2Se3-based thin-film solar cells.

Peer Reviewed

Postprint (published version)