Characterization of photovoltaics with In(2)S(3) nanoflakes/p-Si heterojunction

We demonstrate that heterojunction photovoltaics based on hydrothermal-grown In(2)S(3) on p-Si were fabricated and characterized in the paper. An n-type In(2)S(3) nanoflake-based film with unique 'cross-linked network’ structure was grown on the prepared p-type silicon substrate. It was found that the bandgap energy of such In(2)S(3) film is 2.5 eV by optical absorption spectra. This unique nanostructure significantly enhances the surface area of the In(2)S(3) films, leading to obtain lower reflectance spectra as the thickness of In(2)S(3) film was increased. Additionally, such a nanostructure resulted in a closer spacing between the cross-linked In(2)S(3) nanostructures and formed more direct conduction paths for electron transportation. Thus, the short-circuit current density (Jsc) was effectively improved by using a suitable thickness of In(2)S(3). The power conversion efficiency (PCE, η) of the AZO/In(2)S(3)/textured p-Si heterojunction solar cell with 100-nm-thick In(2)S(3) film was 2.39%.