Heterojunction CdS/Sb2S3 solar cells using antimony sulfide thin films prepared by thermal evaporation

•Antimony sulfide thin films are prepared by thermal evaporation.•Structural, optical and electrical properties of the films are presented.•CdS/Sb2S3 solar cell has a Voc at 600 mV and conversion efficiency at 1.27%.

Thin film solar cells of CdS/Sb2S3/C-Ag are developed on glass substrates coated with SnO2:F (FTO) by thermal evaporation of Sb2S3 powder. At a thickness of 110 nm, Sb2S3 thin film which is heated at 300 °C has an optical band gap Eg of 1.75 eV; optical absorption coefficient in the visible region of > 105 cm− 1; and photoconductivity (n-type) of 1.5 × 10− 6 Ω− 1 cm− 1. The film with 450 nm in thickness is of Eg 1.5 eV. A solar cell, FTO/CdS/Sb2S3 (450 nm)/C-Ag, prepared with this film has an open circuit voltage, Voc, of 600 mV, short circuit current density, Jsc, of 6.1 mA/cm2, and a solar energy conversion efficiency of 1.27%.