Band alignment in SnS thin-film solar cells: Possible origin of the low conversion efficiency

Lee A Burton; Aron Walsh

doi:10.1063/1.4801313

Band alignment in SnS thin-film solar cells: Possible origin of the low conversion efficiency

Lee A Burton
, Aron Walsh

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

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444 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

Tin sulfide is an attractive absorber material for low-cost thin-film solar cells. Despite the ideal physical properties of bulk SnS, the photovoltaic conversion efficiencies achieved in devices to date have been no greater than 2%. Assessment of the valence band energy of the stable orthorhombic phase of SnS reveals a low ionisation potential (4.7 eV) in comparison to typical absorber materials (CdTe, CuInSe2, and Cu2ZnSnS4). A band mis-alignment is therefore predicted with commonly used back contact and buffer layers. Alternative configurations are proposed that should improve device performance.

Original language	English
Article number	132111
Number of pages	3
Journal	Applied Physics Letters
Volume	102
Issue number	13
Early online date	4 Apr 2013
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4801313
Publication status	Published - Apr 2013

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This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

SDG 7 Affordable and Clean Energy

Keywords

buffer layers
ionisation potential
valence bands
tin compounds
thin film devices
solar cells
semiconductor thin films
IV-VI semiconductors

Access to Document

10.1063/1.4801313

ApplPhysLett 102 132111
Copyright 2013 American Institute of Physics. This article may be downloaded for personal use only. Any other use requires prior permission of the author and the American Institute of Physics. The following article appeared in Burton, LA & Walsh, A 2013, 'Band alignment in SnS thin-film solar cells: Possible origin of the low conversion efficiency' Applied Physics Letters, vol 102, no. 13, 132111 and may be found at http://link.aip.org/link/doi/10.1063/1.4801313
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Cite this

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title = "Band alignment in SnS thin-film solar cells: Possible origin of the low conversion efficiency",

abstract = "Tin sulfide is an attractive absorber material for low-cost thin-film solar cells. Despite the ideal physical properties of bulk SnS, the photovoltaic conversion efficiencies achieved in devices to date have been no greater than 2\%. Assessment of the valence band energy of the stable orthorhombic phase of SnS reveals a low ionisation potential (4.7 eV) in comparison to typical absorber materials (CdTe, CuInSe2, and Cu2ZnSnS4). A band mis-alignment is therefore predicted with commonly used back contact and buffer layers. Alternative configurations are proposed that should improve device performance.",

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AB - Tin sulfide is an attractive absorber material for low-cost thin-film solar cells. Despite the ideal physical properties of bulk SnS, the photovoltaic conversion efficiencies achieved in devices to date have been no greater than 2%. Assessment of the valence band energy of the stable orthorhombic phase of SnS reveals a low ionisation potential (4.7 eV) in comparison to typical absorber materials (CdTe, CuInSe2, and Cu2ZnSnS4). A band mis-alignment is therefore predicted with commonly used back contact and buffer layers. Alternative configurations are proposed that should improve device performance.

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KW - valence bands

KW - tin compounds

KW - thin film devices

KW - solar cells

KW - semiconductor thin films

KW - IV-VI semiconductors

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DO - 10.1063/1.4801313

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JO - Applied Physics Letters

JF - Applied Physics Letters

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ER -

Band alignment in SnS thin-film solar cells: Possible origin of the low conversion efficiency

Abstract

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