Zinc oxyselenideZn(O,Se)could become a novel buffer layer in solar cells and a functional layer in different optoelectronic devices. In this study, we systematically investigated the influence of the deposition temperature ranging from room temperature (RT) to 650 °C on the structural and optoelectronic properties of Zn(O,Se) layers grown on photovoltaic (PV) glass substrates by one-step pulsed laser deposition in a high vacuum. All layers were characterized using energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffractometry (XRD), UV−vis spectroscopy, and the Hall and van der Pauw technique. We demonstrated that polycrystalline, uniform, and electrically conductive Zn(O,Se) layers were grown at the substrate temperatures of 500−650 °C, while those layers grown at temperatures below 500 °C were characterized as amorphous and exhibiting a semi-insulating behavior. According to the XRD data, single-phase layers consisting of a ternary Zn(O,Se) phase were formed only at 500 °C. The lattice parameters monotonously decreased with both increasing deposition temperature and lowering Se concentrations in the films. The electron density increased significantly from 1.0 × 10 14 to 3.2 × 10 18 when changing the substrate temperature from 500 to 550 °C. We attributed these changes to the formation of vacancy-type defects in the Zn(O,Se) system. For the first time, we demonstrated the applicability of Zn(O,Se) as a buffer layer in a complete solar cell structure. We developed a prospective superstrate configuration FTO/Zn(O,Se)/CdTe/Te/Ni solar cell exhibiting a cell efficiency of 7.6% (FTO, fluorine-doped tin oxide). Our findings revealed the great potential of Zn(O,Se) to replace conventional CdS buffer layers and to open up new strategies to improve solar cell performance.
The fabrication of cost-effective photostable materials with optoelectronic properties suitable for commercial photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting represents a complex task. Herein, we present a simple route to produce Sb2Se3 that meets most of the requirements for high-performance photocathodes. Annealing of Sb2Se3 layers in a selenium-containing atmosphere persists as a necessary step for improving device parameters; however, it could complicate industrial processability. To develop a safe and scalable alternative to the selenium physical post-processing, we propose a novel SbCl3/glycerol-based thermochemical treatment for controlling anisotropy, a severe problem for Sb2Se3. Our procedure makes it possible to selectively etch antimony-rich oxyselenide presented in Sb2Se3, to obtain high-quality compact thin films with a favorable morphology, stoichiometric composition, and crystallographic orientation. The treated Sb2Se3 photoelectrode demonstrates a record photocurrent density of about 31 mA cm−2 at −248 mV against the calomel electrode and can thus offer a breakthrough option for industrial solar fuel fabrication.
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