TiO2 Electron Transport Layers Through Photonic Curing for Sb2Se3 Solar Cells

Titanium dioxide (TiO2) is one of the most used electron transport layers (ETLs) in antimony selenide (Sb2Se3) solar cells. However, high-temperature sintering step limits the choice of substrates and overall device fabrication flexibility. This study investigates the impact of photonic curing (PC) on the performance of TiO2 ETLs in Sb2Se3 superstrate solar cells. TiO2 thin films were deposited via spin coating and subsequently annealed using the PC technique, a method previously unexplored in the context of Sb2Se3 solar cells. The photovoltaic performance of these devices was compared with conventional thermally annealed TiO2. Thermally annealed TiO2 demonstrated an average power conversion efficiency of 4.1%, whereas PC TiO2 achieved 3.2%. While PC resulted in a slightly reduced efficiency, it presents a rapid, scalable alternative to conventional annealing, potentially reducing processing time and energy consumption. The findings highlight PC as a promising technique for future advancements in thin-film solar cell fabrication.