1School of Physics and Electronic Technology, Liaoning Normal University, Dalian 116029, China 2School of Physics, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024, China 3Mechanical and Electrical Engineering College, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, China 4State Key Laboratory of Molecular Reaction Dynamics, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian 116023 China
Abstract:We fabricated Sb$_{2}$Se$_{3}$ thin film solar cells using tris(8-hydroxy-quinolinato) aluminum (Alq$_{3}$) as an electron transport layer by vacuum thermal evaporation. Another small organic molecule of N,N'-bis(naphthalen-1-yl)-N,N'-bis(phenyl)benzidine (NPB) was used as a hole transport layer. We took ITO/NPB/Sb$_{2}$Se$_{3}$/Alq$_{3}$/Al as the device architecture. An open circuit voltage ($V_{\rm oc}$) of 0.37 V, a short circuit current density ($J_{\rm sc}$) of 21.2 mA/cm$^{2}$, and a power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 3.79% were obtained on an optimized device. A maximum external quantum efficiency of 73% was achieved at 600 nm. The $J_{\rm sc}$, $V_{\rm oc}$, and PCE were dramatically enhanced after introducing an electron transport layer of Alq$_{3}$. The results suggest that the interface state density at Sb$_{2}$Se$_{3}$/Al interface is decreased by inserting an Alq$_{3}$ layer, and the charge recombination loss in the device is suppressed. This work provides a new electron transport material for Sb$_{2}$Se$_{3}$ thin film solar cells.