Hole transfer in solid-state sensitized solar cells from the absorber species to the p-type hole conductor plays a critical role in the charge separation process. The hole transfer process from Sb2S3 (absorber) to CuSCN (hole conductor) in TiO2/Sb2S3/CuSCN extremely thin absorber (ETA) solar cells was studied using transient absorption spectroscopy. In Sb2S3, photogenerated holes are rapidly localized on the sulfur atoms in the lattice, forming a sulfide radical (S-�) species, at a rate of 4.6 � 1011 s-1 independent of the Sb2S3 film thickness. Subsequent transfer of photogenerated holes from S-� trap states to CuSCN was observed to be highly dependent on Sb2S3 film thickness. This trend was attributed to diffusion limitations as the trapped hole migrates to the Sb2S3 - CuSCN interface before transfer. Diffusion of holes in the Sb2S3 layer was seen to reduce the observed hole transfer rate from 1.34 � 109 s-1 for 20 nm thick Sb2S3 films to 2.41 � 108 s-1 for 130 nm thick films. Elucidation of the hole transfer process from Sb2S3 to CuSCN represents a significant step toward understanding the charge separation mechanism in Sb2S3 solar cells, and provides insight into the design of new architectures for higher efficiency devices.

Hole transfer dynamics of Sb<sub>2</sub>S<sub>3</sub> solar cells

246th National Meeting (2013)

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Hole transfer dynamics of Sb2S3 solar cells

Hole transfer dynamics of Sb₂S₃ solar cells