SnO2/In2S3 Dual Electron Transport Layer for Interface Defect Regulation and Band Engineering in Sb2S3 Solar Cells

Abstract

Antimony sulfide (Sb₂S₃) is widely considered as an emerging photovoltaic absorber material due to its low cost, environmental friendliness, intrinsic stability, and abundance. In Sb₂S₃ photovoltaic devices, the electron transport layer (ETL) is indispensable for facilitating the efficient collection and transporting photogenerated electrons from the absorber layer to the electrode. Among various ETL materials, n-type CdS has been widely applied due to its excellent electron mobility. However, its inherent toxicity, high resistivity, and parasitic light absorption severely limit the performance of Sb₂S₃ photovoltaic devices. In recent years, indium sulfide (In₂S₃) has gained significant interest as an alternative ETL due to its robust chemical durability, low toxicity, excellent electron transport capability, and wide bandgap, which effectively blocks hole injection. Nonetheless, the In₂S₃ ETL alone suffers from severe interfacial recombination due to its interfacial defects and bad energy level matching with a transparent conductive glass electrode. In this work, first, we successfully synthesized In₂S₃ thin films via a facile, cost-effective, and environmentally friendly approach involving thermal decomposition of indium ethylxanthate (In(S₂COEt)₃) at 300 °C. Subsequently, the bilayer ETL (SnO₂/In₂S₃) comprising SnO₂ and In₂S₃ was incorporated into Sb₂S₃ solar cells to optimize interfacial properties and enhanced charge transport. The resulting device achieved the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 3.91%, conspicuously higher than the 1.22% obtained with the single In₂S₃ ETL. The dual ETL creates a favorable energy level gradient, while the SnO₂ interlayer facilitates the emergence of compact Sb₂S₃ films with improved crystallinity. This configuration mitigates charge recombination and facilitates electron extraction at the FTO/ETL interface, thereby boosting device performance. This work presents a strategy for constructing the dual ETL by thermally decomposing In(S₂COEt)₃ on SnO₂, offering a cadmium-free, efficient, and environmentally friendly pathway to support the development of Sb₂S₃ photovoltaic devices.