Tri-chalcogenides (Sb2S3/Bi2S3) solar cells with double electron transport layers: design and simulation

Abstract To make technology accessible to everyone, it is essential to focus on affordability and durability of the devices. Antimony trisulfide (Sb2S3) and bismuth (III) sulfide (Bi2S3) are low-cost and stable materials that are commonly used in photovoltaic devices due to their non-toxic nature and abundance. These materials are particularly promising for photovoltaic applications as they are effective light-absorbing materials. In this study, we utilized the Solar cell Capacitance Simulator- One-Dimensional (SCAPS-1D) software to investigate the parameters of a double electron transport layer (ETL) solar cell based on Sb2S3/ Bi2S3. The parameters examined included thickness of the absorber layer, overall defect density, density of acceptors, radiative recombination coefficient, series and shunt resistance, and work function of the back contact. The solar cell structure studied was FTO/SnO2/CdS/ Sb2S3 and Bi2S3/Spiro-OMeTAD/Au. By incorporating a SnO2 electron transport layer (ETL) into the double ETL structure of Sb2S3 and Bi2S3 solar cells, we observed a significant enhancement in the power conversion efficiency (PCE). Specifically, the PCE increased to 19.71% for the Sb2S3 solar cell and 24.05% for the Bi2S3 solar cell. In contrast, without SnO2, the single ETL-based CdS solar cell achieved a maximum PCE of 18.27 and 23.05% for Sb2S3 and Bi2S3, respectively.