Abla Guechi¹, Djohra Dekhil², Abdelhak Nouri^2,*

Chalcogenide Letters, Vol.23, No.1, 2026, DOI:10.32604/cl.2026.076586 - 26 January 2026

Abstract This work uses numerical modeling in SCAPS-1D to examine the efficiency analysis of a solar cell based on SnS. The power conversion efficiency (PCE) is limited to 24.5% because of incomplete photon absorption in the absorber layer (SnS) and carrier recombination. To increase the absorption window, facilitate charge mobility, and suppress bulk recombination at the rear contact, the absorbent film was divided up into three sublayers with graded band gaps of 1.1 eV, 1.2 eV, and 1.3 eV. Furthermore, the sublayers’ linear gradient doping improved charge collection while simultaneously lowering recombination at the interface. A… More >

Junyan Tian¹, Qingyuan Zhang¹, Lili Wu^1,2,*, Xia Hao^1,2, Guanggen Zeng¹, Wenwu Wang¹, Jingquan Zhang^1,2

Chalcogenide Letters, Vol.23, No.1, 2026, DOI:10.32604/cl.2026.076362 - 26 January 2026

Abstract The incorporation of the Se element in CdTe solar cells is critical, while the low bandgap CdSe_xTe_1−x, formed by the interdiffusion of CdTe and CdSe during device preparation, can promote the carrier lifetime. Different window layers formed by CdSe w/o MZO or CdS have different Se distributions. This paper systematically evaluates the influence of four types of window layers (CdSe, CdS/CdSe, MZO/CdSe and MZO/CdS/CdSe) on the performance of CdTe solar cells, and focuses on the correlation between the window layers and the Se distribution characteristic, carrier recombination mechanism, and device efficiency. The results show that CdSe… More >

Dehui Li^1,#, Yiming Guo^1,#, Tao He¹, Binbin Zhang¹, Haixia Yu^2,*, Lingkun Meng^1,*

Chalcogenide Letters, Vol.23, No.1, 2026, DOI:10.32604/cl.2026.075922 - 26 January 2026

Abstract Quinary Cu₃FeInSnS₆ (CFITS) nanoplates were synthesized through a synergistic dual-cation substitution strategy using a hot-injection method, where oleylamine and 1-dodecanethiol served as coordinating ligands to guide two-dimensional growth. The nanocrystals were characterized by X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and absorption spectroscopy. Structural analysis confirms that the CFITS nanoplates crystallize in a phase-pure cubic zinc-blende structure (space group F-43 m) without detectable secondary phases. Optical measurements reveal that the nanoplates exhibit broad and intense visible-light absorption with a direct bandgap of 1.51 ± 0.03 eV, suitable for photovoltaic applications. Under standard AM 1.5 G… More >

A. Ledesma-Juárez¹, J. F. Quintero-Guerrero², A. M. Fernández^1,*

Chalcogenide Letters, Vol.22, No.12, pp. 1009-1018, 2025, DOI:10.15251/CL.2025.2212.1009 - 06 December 2025

Abstract Indium sulphide (In₂S₃) has positioned itself as an environmentally friendly and efficient option compared to traditional CdS, used as a buffer layer in thin-film solar cells that use Cu(In,Ga)Se₂ (CIGS) as an absorbent material. This study provides a comparative analysis of two techniques for depositing thin films of In₂S₃: chemical bath deposition (CBD) and ultrasonic pyrolytic spraying. Their structural, morphological, compositional, and optical properties were evaluated. The films obtained by pyrolytic spraying, showed adequate crystallinity and uniformity. On the other hand, the films deposited by CBD had better stoichiometry (In2:S3 ≈ 40:60% at.) and higher bandgap values More >

O. Mekhbi^a, K. Kamli^b,*, Z. Hadef^b, O. Kamli^c, M. Bouatrous^d, N. Houaidji^e, L. Zighed^h

Chalcogenide Letters, Vol.22, No.4, pp. 331-339, 2025, DOI:10.15251/CL.2025.224.331

Abstract This work presents a hybrid study that employs Ultrasonic Spray method for the deposition of SnS absorber films and SCAPS-1D simulation method for the analysis of various solar cell topologies. Different deposition times have been employed to optimize structural, optics, and electrical properties. To evaluate their potential as absorber layers for solar cells, the films were analyzed by using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), and tested for electrical performance. Complementary numerical simulations were carried out with SCAPS-1D in modeling ZnO:Al/i-ZnO/SnS₂/SnS solar cell structures. Results showed that optimized SnS thickness of 2.5 µm and high carrier More >

M. H. Ibrahim^*, M. R. Salim, M. Y. Mohd Nor, A. S. Abdullah, A. I. Azmi

Chalcogenide Letters, Vol.22, No.6, pp. 551-560, 2025, DOI:10.15251/CL.2025.226.551

Abstract Four chalcogenide compounds: copper zinc germanium sulfide (CZGS), copper zinc germanium selenide (CZGSe), copper barium tin sulfide (CBTS), and copper manganese tin sulfide (CMTS) were proposed as hole transport layer (HTL) in dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC). The DSSC structure comprises fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) as the top electrode, zinc oxysulfide (ZnOS) as the electron transport layer (ETL), N719 dye as the light absorber, chalcogenides as the HTL, and gold (Au) as the back electrode. By utilizing the SCAPS 1- D simulator, the optimal thicknesses for ZnOS, HTL candidates and N719 dye were determined to be More >

B. Yassine, B. Tahar^*, G. Fathi, B. Meriem, B. Ibtissem

Chalcogenide Letters, Vol.22, No.7, pp. 637-648, 2025, DOI:10.15251/CL.2025.227.637 - 17 December 2025

Abstract In this paper, we designed a two-junction (tandem) solar cell model (tandem solar cell), consisting of an top and bottom subcell with absorber layers of Cu₂SnZnS₄ (CZTS) and Cu₂SnZnSe₄ (CZTSe) materials, respectively, for each subcell with a ZnS buffer layer and a ZnO window layer. This model was validated using the SCAPS-1D numerical simulation program. We also optimized the performance of the tandem cell as a whole using the simulation by studying the effect of the thickness of the absorber layer of the top subcell and the thickness of the absorber layer of the bottom subcell More >

R. M. Reddy^a, S. Chirag^b, T. Anu^c, A. R. Venkataramanan^d, S. Karthikeyan^e,*, D. Palaniswamy^f, E. Venugopal Goud^a, N. Dineshbabu^g, T. Thirugnanasambandham^h

Chalcogenide Letters, Vol.22, No.7, pp. 615-624, 2025, DOI:10.15251/CL.2025.227.615

Abstract Solar cells can transform light energy into electrical energy, possibly removing the need for fossil fuel energy resources. Reflection loss in solar cells is a factor contributing to diminished power conversion efficiency, which can be solved through using antireflective coatings on the cell surface. The present research primarily focuses on the development and application of antireflection coatings on the top surface of silicon solar cells. Sb₂Se₃ was deposited over multi-crystalline Si cells with different durations from 15 to 60 minutes. The influence of thin film Sb₂Se₃ coated cells was investigated through optical, current, voltage and thermal… More >

M. Abbas^a, M. Haseeb-u-Rehman^a, M. Sohail^b, G. H. Tariq^a,*

Chalcogenide Letters, Vol.22, No.7, pp. 561-577, 2025, DOI:10.15251/CL.2025.227.561

Abstract This work presents the fabrication of NiO thin films via versatile sol-gel spin coating method and investigation of annealing effects on their physical properties. After the deposition process, the NiO thin films underwent annealing process at different values of temperatures ranging from 200°C to 350°C for one hour duration. XRD patterns confirmed the polycrystalline nature, along the preferred orientations (110) and (101) planes. Nanoparticles in NiO thin films demonstrated an increase in crystallite size with rising annealing temperatures, reaching a maximum size of 49 nm at annealing temperature 300°C. FTIR patterns revealed Ni-O bands at… More >

S. R. Ahmed^a,*, M. V. V. K. Srinivas Prasad^b, K. Keerthivasan^c

Chalcogenide Letters, Vol.22, No.8, pp. 679-691, 2025, DOI:10.15251/CL.2025.228.679

Abstract This work used a sonication-aided approach to make Cadmium sulfide nanoparticles and Nitrogen-doped CdS nanoparticles. Doping Nitrogen into CdS NPs enhances the material's electrical, chemical, and structural properties by altering its surface area and functional sites. XRD, FTIR, SEM/EDX, TGA, UV-Vis, and PSA are used to evaluate the characteristic features of CdS NPs. The photovoltaic responses of the prepared CdS and CdS-N NPs were evaluated by electrochemical impedance and IV analysis. The obtained XRD data confirms that nitrogen doping significantly changes the crystal size of CdS NPs. The XPS spectrum depicts the presence of trace More >