ANR SOLART english

Study of Optical Layering and Advanced Research Techniques on Sb₂Se₃ for photovoltaic applications

January 1^st 2026 – December 31^th 2029

 

IMN coordinator of the project : Camille LATOUCHE (Prof UNIV)

Partners :     ISCR (UMR 6226 CNRS/Univ. Rennes 1, Michel CATHELINAUD (IR CNRS))
        

Persons of IMN involved : Stéphane JOBIC (DR CNRS), Thomas LEPETIT (MC UNIV), Jean-Yves NEVELLEC (IR CNRS), Jonathan HAMON (IE CNRS)

Total financing : 372843 € with 223 273.80 € for IMN

 

 

This project focuses on Sb₂Se₃, a very promising material for solar cells.
It combines several advantages: good stability, low toxicity, and favorable electronic properties for converting sunlight into electricity.

Currently, Sb₂Se₃-based solar cells already reach decent efficiencies, but they are still below their theoretical limit (about 30%).
The main goal of this project is to develop new strategies to improve their performance and eventually achieve efficiencies above 15%.

To reach this goal, the project is built around three main directions:
•    Luminescence, which provides valuable information about the quality of the material.
•    Defect engineering, to better control the type and role of defects that strongly influence performance.
•    Interface optimization, especially between Sb₂Se₃ and a buffer layer such as Zn₁₋ₓSnₓO (ZTO).

 

 The different stages of work

 

The approach combines ab initio modeling and laboratory experiments.
On the one hand, ab initio calculations will predict luminescence spectra, study defect formation energies and concentrations, and propose an optimal band alignment between Sb₂Se₃ and its buffer layers.
On the other hand, the synthesis and characterization of high-purity Sb₂Se₃ films will test these predictions. Controlled doping of the material will further improve electronic properties such as carrier concentration and mobility.

Different experimental techniques, such as luminescence spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and UV photoelectron spectroscopy (UPS), will provide detailed insights into the quality and properties of the materials.
By combining theory and experiment, this project aims to strengthen Sb₂Se₃ as a sustainable alternative to silicon in photovoltaics, and to develop next-generation solar cells with higher efficiency and lower environmental impact.