Antimony selenide thin-film solar cells

Due to their promising applications in low-cost, flexible and high-efficiency photovoltaics, there has been a booming exploration of thin-film solar cells using new absorber materials such as Sb₂Se₃, SnS, FeS₂, CuSbS₂ and CuSbSe₂. Among them, Sb₂Se₃-based solar cells are a viable prospect because of their suitable band gap, high absorption coefficient, excellent electronic properties, non-toxicity, low cost, earth-abundant constituents, and intrinsically benign grain boundaries, if suitably oriented. This review surveys the recent development of Sb₂Se₃-based solar cells with special emphasis on the material and optoelectronic properties of Sb₂Se₃, the solution-based and vacuum-based fabrication process and the recent progress of Sb₂Se₃-sensitized and Sb₂Se₃ thin-film solar cells. A brief overview further addresses some of the future challenges to achieve low-cost, environmentally-friendly and high-efficiency Sb₂Se₃ solar cells. (topical review)