Silver Antimony Sulfide Selenide Thin‐Film Solar Cells via Chemical Deposition

Abstract

Silver antimony sulfide selenide (AgSbS 1.3 Se 0.7 ) thin film forms from silver antimony sulfide (AgSbS 2 , 700 nm) and amorphous selenium (Se, 300 nm), both obtained via chemical deposition and heated in contact at 180 °C for 30 min in an argon ambient. The face‐centered cubic (fcc) structure of AgSbS 2 (cuboargyrite) is maintained in AgSbS 1.3 Se 0.7 . The optical bandgap of 1.8 eV (direct forbidden) in AgSbS 2 reduces to 1.47 eV in AgSbS 1.3 Se 0.7 with an increase in the light‐generated current density from 19 to 29 mA cm −2 . The photoconductivity in AgSbS 1.3 Se 0.7 of 2 × 10 −5 Ω −1 cm −1 is an order of magnitude higher than that in AgSbS 2 . A solar cell of SnO 2 :F/CdS(80 nm)/AgSbS 1.3 Se 0.7 (700 nm)/C‐Ag, produced by heating at 280 °C with the graphite (C) electrode applied, shows a conversion efficiency ( η ) of 0.65%, open‐circuit voltage ( V oc ) of 0.537 V, short‐circuit current density ( J sc ) of 2.07 mA cm −2 , and fill factor of 0.60. In AgSbS 2 solar cell, η is of 0.54% with a V oc of 0.625 V. The merits of AgSbS 1.3 Se 0.7 as a solar cell absorber and ways to increase the J sc in the AgSbS 1.3 Se 0.7 solar cell to match its J L are discussed.