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Energy Materials

Xia et al. Energy Mater. 2026, 6, 600022 DOI:10.20517/energymater.2025.225

Zn doping modulation of carrier transport properties
at the back interface of antimony sulfide solar cells

Ying-Sen Xia 1 , Jun-Cai Zhang , Jie Huang , Jin-Rui Cai , Ling-Jie Liu , Gan Huang , Li-Mei Lin , Zhi-Ping
1,*
1
1
1
1
1
Huang , Hu Li , Shuiyuan Chen 1,2,* , Gui-Lin Chen 1,2,*
1
1,*
Keywords:
Sb 2 S 3 solar cells, Zn doping,
interface engineering, carrier
transport
Citation: Xia, Y. S.; Zhang, J.
C.; Huang, J.; Cai, J. R.; Liu, L.
J.; Huang, G.; Lin, L. M.;
Huang, Z. P.; Li, H.; Chen, S.;
Chen, G. L. Zn doping
modulation of carrier
transport properties at the
back interface of antimony
sulfide solar cells. Energy
Mater. 2026, 6, 600022.
https://dx.doi.org/10.20517
/energymater.2025.225
Received: 24 Dec 2025 Abstract
Accepted: 29 Jan 2026
Published: 16 Mar 2026 Sb 2 S 3 has emerged as a highly promising material for thin-film solar cells due to its low
toxicity, excellent stability, and strong light absorption in the visible region. However,
Academic Editor: challenges such as the formation of the Sb 2 O 3 secondary phase and S re-evaporation still
Soo Young Kim
Copy Editor: exist during the high-temperature annealing of Sb 2 S 3 . To address these issues, this study
Ping Zhang introduces a strategy involving the pre-deposition of an ultrathin ZnO protective layer onto
Production Editor: the Sb 2 S 3 surface. The ZnO layer facilitates controlled oxygen passivation through a
Ping Zhang
lattice-vacancy-mediated mass transfer mechanism, effectively suppressing the formation
of Sb 2 O 3 and minimizing Sb 2 S 3 volatilization, while simultaneously forming a Zn-doping
layer. The results show that Zn doping significantly enhances the energy level alignment at
the back interface: the conduction band minimum (CBM) and valence band maximum
(VBM) of the Sb 2 O 3 /Sb 2 S 3 mixed layer are upshifted, and the Fermi level is downshifted,
thereby promoting hole transport. Additionally, the carrier concentration increases,

1 Fujian Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center of Solar Energy Conversion and Energy Storage, College of Physics and Energy,
Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou 350117, Fujian, China.
2 Fujian Provincial Collaborative Innovation Center for Advanced High-Field Superconducting Materials and Engineering, Fuzhou 350117,
Fujian, China.

* Correspondence to: Dr. Li-Mei Lin, Dr. Hu Li, Fujian Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center of Solar Energy Conversion and
Energy Storage, College of Physics and Energy, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou 350117, Fujian, China. E-mail: linlm@fjnu.edu.cn;
lihu2025@163.com; Prof. Gui-Lin Chen, Prof. Shuiyuan Chen, Fujian Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center of Solar Energy
Conversion and Energy Storage, College of Physics and Energy, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou 350117, Fujian, China; Fujian Provincial
Collaborative Innovation Center for Advanced High-Field Superconducting Materials and Engineering, Fuzhou 350117, Fujian, China.
E-mail: glchen@fjnu.edu.cn; sychen@fjnu.edu.cn

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