Semiconductor-sensitized solar cells based on nanocrystalline In2S3/In2O3 thin film electrodes

A possibility of semiconductor-sensitized thin film solar cells have been proposed. Nanocrystalline In2S3-modified In2O3 electrodes were prepared with sulfidation of In2O3 thin film electrodes under H2S atmosphere. The band gap (Eg) of In2S3 estimated from the onset of the absorption spectrum was approximately 2.0 eV. The photovoltaic properties of a photoelectrochemical solar cell based on In2S3/In2O3 thin film electrodes and I−/I3− redox electrolytes were investigated. This photoelectrochemical cell could convert visible light of 400–700 nm to electron. A highly efficient incident photon-to-electron conversion efficiency (IPCE) of 33% was obtained at 410 nm. The solar energy conversion efficiency, η, under AM 1.5 (100 mW cm−2) was 0.31% with a short-circuit photocurrent density (Jsc) of 3.10 mA cm−2, a open-circuit photovoltage (Voc) of 0.26 V, and a fill factor ( ff ) of 0.38.