CuSbS2 and CuBiS2 as potential absorber materials for thin-film solar cells

• The current thin-film photovoltaic (PV) technologies are dominated by CdTe and Cu(In,Ga)Se-2 compounds. However, due to the limited availably and toxicity of the elements in these technologies, the current research efforts are directed to search alternative earth abundant materials. Therefore, in this work, we analyze the CuSbS2 and CuBiS2 compounds as alternative absorber materials for future thin-film solar cells. Employing a first-principles approach within the density functional theory, we calculate the structural, electronic, and optical properties of CuSbS2 and CuBiS2 compounds. We show that these compounds have indirect fundamental band gap E-g = 1.5-1.7 eV. The indirect gap nature is different from the previous experimental measurements. However, due to the flat bands, the direct gap E-dg = 1.6-1.8 eV is suitable for solar energy technologies. Furthermore, calculations reveal that these compounds have strong absorption coefficients, which are about twice as large as in other Cu-S based PV materials like CuInS2 and Cu2ZnSnS4. Therefore, CuSbS2 and CuBiS2 have the potential to be used as absorber materials in thin-film PV technologies.

Subject headings

TEKNIK OCH TEKNOLOGIER  -- Maskinteknik -- Energiteknik (hsv//swe)

ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY  -- Mechanical Engineering -- Energy Engineering (hsv//eng)

Keyword

Earth-abundant materials

First-principles approaches

Fundamental band gap

Indirect-gap nature

Photovoltaic technology

Solar energy technologies

Strong absorptions

Thin-film solar cells

Publication and Content Type

ref (subject category)

art (subject category)