Polycrystalline thin films of AgSbS2 of thickness 140 nm and crystalline structure matching that of the mineral cuboargyrite (a = 0.5652 nm) are obtained by heating chemically deposited thin films at 150–320 °C. These films are deposited at 40 °C from a solution mixture containing antimony‐thiosulfate complex and Ag‐nitrate at a mole‐fraction Ag/(Ag+Sb) of 0.31. The as‐deposited films are progressively transformed to cubic‐AgSbS2, with the fraction of crystalline matter at 3.7% after heating at 150 °C and 98% at 280 °C. The crystalline grain diameter is limited to 8–11 nm. The amorphous film has an optical band gap (Eg) of 2.03 eV and the film heated at 320 °C has an Eg of 1.79 eV. The crystalline films are photoconductive; with electrical conductivity of 10−5 Ω−1 cm−1 under an intensity of illumination, 1000 W m−2 (tungsten‐halogen). The mobility–lifetime product of the material is 7.5 × 10−7 cm2 V−1. A solar cell, SnO2:F/CdS/AgSbS2(420 nm)/C, has open circuit voltage, 0.615 V; short‐circuit current density, 1.67 mA cm−2; and conversion efficiency, 0.57% for air‐mass 1.5 global solar radiation. Estimate for the maximum photo‐generated current density for cubic‐AgSbS2 is 16 mA cm−2; hence a supplementary absorber is recommended for future development of the solar cell.
Abundance of antimony in the earth's upper crust is near 0.2 ppm, with an annual production nearly two hundred thousand tons, and 99.65% ingot price below US$15/kg, thus making antimony-based semiconductor compounds attractive for solar cells. The optical band gap (Eg) 1.5-1.8 eV of antimony sulfide qualifies it as a solar cell absorber, particularly in view of the solid solutions Sb2Se3-xSe with Eg 1-1.8 eV. We report here chemical deposition Sb2S3 of 300 nm in thickness using two methods. When used in CdS/Sb2S3/C-Ag cells prepared by either method, Voc is up to 640 mV and Jsc, 2-5 mA/cm2 and efficiency, η is 0.5-1% under 1000 W/m2 AM 1.5 G sunlight. Under concentrated sunlight, Jsc increases proportionately and Voc, logarithmically. Addition of a 400 nm of PbS thin film: CdS/Sb2S3/PbS/C-Ag improves Voc, but cell efficiency is 1%.
Silver antimony sulfide selenide (AgSbS1.3Se0.7) thin film forms from silver antimony sulfide (AgSbS2, 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 AgSbS2 (cuboargyrite) is maintained in AgSbS1.3Se0.7. The optical bandgap of 1.8 eV (direct forbidden) in AgSbS2 reduces to 1.47 eV in AgSbS1.3Se0.7 with an increase in the light‐generated current density from 19 to 29 mA cm−2. The photoconductivity in AgSbS1.3Se0.7 of 2 × 10−5 Ω−1 cm−1 is an order of magnitude higher than that in AgSbS2. A solar cell of SnO2:F/CdS(80 nm)/AgSbS1.3Se0.7(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 (Voc) of 0.537 V, short‐circuit current density (Jsc) of 2.07 mA cm−2, and fill factor of 0.60. In AgSbS2 solar cell, η is of 0.54% with a Voc of 0.625 V. The merits of AgSbS1.3Se0.7 as a solar cell absorber and ways to increase the Jsc in the AgSbS1.3Se0.7 solar cell to match its JL are discussed.
Thin films of AgSbS 2 (150 nm) are prepared (75 min at 40 ºC) via chemical deposition using a solution mixture containing SbCl 3 , Na 2 S 2 O 3 and AgNO 3 . As-deposited films are amorphous. When they are heated in nitrogen at 180-320 ºC, crystalline cubic-AgSbS 2 films are formed. They show an optical band gap 1.89 eV and photoconductivity 1.8x10 -5 Ω -1 cm -1 . Silver antimony sulfide-selenide film, AgSb(S x Se 1-x ) 2 , is produced from the initial amorphous film when it is heated in presence of Se-vapor. XRD analysis confirms the formation of solid solution AgSbS 1.25 Se 0.75 or AgSbSe 2 depending on the extent of Sevapor available during heating. SnO 2 :F/CdS/AgSbS 2 /C solar cell shows V oc 610 mV, J sc 0.88 mA/cm 2 , FF 0.53 and η 0.28%. In SnO 2 :F/CdS/Sb 2 S 3 /AgSb(S x Se 1-x ) 2 /C solar cell, V oc is 582 mV, J sc 0.99 mA/cm 2 , FF 0.51 and η 0.29%.
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