Heterojunction CdS/Sb 2 S 3 solar cells using antimony sulfide thin films prepared by thermal evaporation

Abstract Thin film solar cells of CdS/Sb 2 S 3 /C-Ag are developed on glass substrates coated with SnO 2 :F (FTO) by thermal evaporation of Sb 2 S 3 powder. At a thickness of 110 nm, Sb 2 S 3 thin film which is heated at 300 °C has an optical band gap E g of 1.75 eV; optical absorption coefficient in the visible region of > 10 5 cm − 1 ; and photoconductivity ( n -type) of 1.5 × 10 − 6 Ω − 1 cm − 1 . The film with 450 nm in thickness is of E g 1.5 eV. A solar cell, FTO/CdS/Sb 2 S 3 (450 nm)/C-Ag, prepared with this film has an open circuit voltage, V oc , of 600 mV, short circuit current density, J sc , of 6.1 mA/cm 2 , and a solar energy conversion efficiency of 1.27%.