Issue 48, 2023

Silver sulfide thin film solar cells: materials, fabrication methods, devices, and challenges

Abstract

Photovoltaic (PV) technology provides a sustainable solution to meet the increasing energy demands from society. Silver sulfide (Ag2S), a direct bandgap PV material, is considered a promising semiconductor due to its excellent optical and electrical properties, including high theoretical efficiency (∼30%), tunable bandgap (Eg = 0.9–1.1 eV), high thermodynamic stability, low toxicity, abundant elemental availability, and low fabrication cost. Despite efforts to improve the photovoltaic conversion efficiency of Ag2S devices through various approaches such as film deposition techniques, device structures, and interface optimization, the quality of the absorber layer, structural defects, and non-ideal charge separation at the interfaces remain obstacles for further performance enhancement. Therefore, it is crucial to gain a deeper understanding of the fabrication methods, optoelectronic properties, and efficiency loss mechanisms of Ag2S solar cells to achieve rapid advancements in device performance. This review summarizes the current research status on the fabrication methods, device structure selection, design, and optimization of Ag2S thin films. Finally, insights into achieving high-efficiency Ag2S devices by improving the crystallinity of the absorber layer and reducing interface defects are discussed.

Graphical abstract: Silver sulfide thin film solar cells: materials, fabrication methods, devices, and challenges

Article information

Article type
Review Article
Submitted
14 Sep 2023
Accepted
10 Nov 2023
First published
14 Nov 2023

J. Mater. Chem. C, 2023,11, 16842-16858

Silver sulfide thin film solar cells: materials, fabrication methods, devices, and challenges

W. Dong, J. Fu, J. Yang, S. Ren, H. Zhu, Y. Wang, J. Hao, Y. Zhang and Z. Zheng, J. Mater. Chem. C, 2023, 11, 16842 DOI: 10.1039/D3TC03341D

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