Steinmann, VeraChakraborty, RupakRekemeyer, Paul H.Hartman, KatyBrandt, Riley E.Polizzotti, AlexYang, ChuanxiMoriarty, TomGradecak, SilvijaGordon, RoyBuonassisi, Tonio2016-09-272016Steinmann, Vera, Rupak Chakraborty, Paul H. Rekemeyer, Katy Hartman, Riley E. Brandt, Alex Polizzotti, Chuanxi Yang, et al. 2016. “A Two-Step Absorber Deposition Approach To Overcome Shunt Losses in Thin-Film Solar Cells: Using Tin Sulfide as a Proof-of-Concept Material System.” ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces 8 (34) (August 31): 22664–22670. doi:10.1021/acsami.6b07198.1944-8244http://nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:HUL.InstRepos:28553791As novel absorber materials are developed and screened for their photovoltaic (PV) properties, the challenge remains to reproducibly test promising candidates for high-performing PV devices. Many early-stage devices are prone to device shunting due to pinholes in the absorber layer, producing “false negative” results. Here, we demonstrate a device engineering solution towards a robust device architecture, using a two-step absorber deposition approach. We use tin sulfide (SnS) as a test absorber material. The SnS bulk is processed at high temperature (400˚C) to stimulate grain growth, followed by a much thinner, low-temperature (200˚C) absorber deposition. At lower process temperature, the thin absorber overlayer contains significantly smaller, densely packed grains, which are likely to provide a continuous coating and fill pinholes in the underlying absorber bulk. We compare this two-step approach to the more standard approach of using a semi-insulating buffer layer directly on top of the annealed absorber bulk, and demonstrate a more than 3.5x superior shunt resistance Rsh with smaller standard error σRsh. Electron-beam induced current (EBIC) measurements indicate a lower density of pinholes in the SnS absorber bulk when using the two-step absorber deposition approach. We correlate those findings to improvements in the device performance and device performance reproducibility.en-USdevice shuntingnovel absorber materialsperformance reliabilityphotovoltaicsthin-filmstin sulfideJournal Article2016-08-2220162016-09-2710.1021/acsami.6b07198