The candidate photovoltaic absorber antimony selenide Sb2Se3 has been prepared by the commercially attractive close-space sublimation method. Structure, composition, and morphology are studied by x-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and energy dispersive spectroscopy. Large rhubarb-like grains favorable for photovoltaics naturally develop. The temperature-dependence of the direct band gap is determined by photoreflectance between 20 and 320 K and is well described by the Varshni and Bose–Einstein relations, blue-shifting with decreasing temperature from 1.18 to 1.32 eV. The 300 K band gap matches that seen in high quality single-crystal material, while the 0 K gap is consistent with that found in first-principles calculations, further supporting the array of beneficial photovoltaic properties indicated for this material.
