Crystalline Antimony Selenide Thin Films for Optoelectronics through Photonic Curing.

Thermal annealing is the most common postdeposition technique used to crystallize antimony selenide (Sb 2 Se 3 ) thin films. However, due to slow processing speeds and a high energy cost, it is incompatible with the upscaling and commercialization of Sb 2 Se 3 for future photovoltaics. Herein, for the first time, a fast-annealing technique that uses millisecond light pulses to deliver energy to the sample is adapted to cure thermally evaporated Sb 2 Se 3 films. This study demonstrates how photonic curing (PC) conditions affect the outcome of Sb 2 Se 3 phase conversion from amorphous to crystalline by evaluating the films' crystalline, morphological, and optical properties. We show that Sb 2 Se 3 is readily converted under a variety of different conditions, but the zone where suitable films for optoelectronic applications are obtained is a small region of the parameter space. Sb 2 Se 3 annealing with short pulses (<3 ms) shows significant damage to the sample, while using longer pulses (>5 ms) and a 4-5 J cm -2 radiant energy produces (211)- and (221)-oriented crystalline Sb 2 Se 3 with minimal to no damage to the sample. A proof-of-concept photonically cured Sb 2 Se 3 photovoltaic device is demonstrated. PC is a promising annealing method for large-area, high-throughput annealing of Sb 2 Se 3 with various potential applications in Sb 2 Se 3 photovoltaics.