Magnetron Sputtering Deposition of Sb2Se3 Thin Films: Physical Property Characterizations and Its Relevance for Photovoltaics

The absorber layer is a significant part of the solar cell configuration because of its role in determining the efficiency. Since the properties of the chalcogenides have been studied intensively, the Sb2Se3 material has come into prominence. In thin film technology, the most effective ways of increasing the performance are the rate of photon absorption, long material life, carrier efficiency and the quality of the interface. Sb2Se3 gets more attention than others due to its optoelectronic properties. Sb2Se3 has a suitable band gap (Eg), long term material stability, and a relatively simple composition with non-toxic and earth abundant elements. All these features make Sb2Se3 a promising candidate for use as an absorber layer in thin film photovoltaics (PVs). In this study, Sb2Se3 films have been grown with DC magnetron sputtering method onto soda lime glass (SLG) substrates with different time durations. Morphological, structural, and optical properties of Sb2Se3 thin films were systematically investigated as a function of the thickness for photovoltaic applications. Our results indicate that the optical transmission, absorption behavior, and bandgap energy are strongly dependent on the thickness of the film.