Antimony selenide (Sb₂Se₃) is an emerging semiconductor material with significant potential for a range of photoelectric applications due to its favorable physical properties, including high stability, non-toxicity, an optimal bandgap, and high absorption coefficient. This review focuses on the latest advancements in the fabrication, material properties, and diverse applications of Sb₂Se₃, extending beyond photovoltaic uses to photodetectors, photocathodes, and other optoelectronic devices. The unique one-dimensional crystal structure of Sb₂Se₃ offers intrinsic anisotropic charge transport, making it highly adaptable for next-generation devices. We highlight the various deposition methods employed, such as hydrothermal, chemical bath deposition (CBD), vapor transport deposition (VTD), and close-spaced sublimation (CSS), each playing a crucial role in optimizing material quality. Additionally, this review discusses the primary challenges, including defect engineering and interface optimization, that must be addressed to fully realize the potential of Sb₂Se₃-based devices. Finally, this review presents some future directions for enhancing device performance, with particular emphasis on material synthesis and device architecture improvements that can drive further innovation in this field.

Antimony selenide (Sb₂Se₃) has drawn tremendous research attentions in recent years as an environment-friendly and cost-efficient photovoltaic material. However, the intrinsic low carrier density and electrical conductivity limited its scope of applications. In this work, an effective ion doping strategy was implemented to improve the electrical and photoelectrical performances of Sb₂Se₃ thin films. The Sn-doped and I-doped Sb₂Se₃ thin films with controllable chemical composition can be prepared by magnetron sputtering combined with post-selenization treatment based on homemade plasma sintered targets. As a result, the Sn-doped Sb₂Se₃ thin film exhibited a great increase in carrier density by several orders of magnitude, by contrast, a less increase with one order of magnitude was achieved for the I-doped Sb₂Se₃ thin film. Additionally, such cation or anion doping could simultaneously modify the conduction type of Sb₂Se₃, enabling the first fabrication of a substrate structured Sb₂Se₃-based quasi-homojunction thin film solar cell with configuration of Mo/Sb₂Se₃-Sn/Sb₂Se₃-I/ITO/Ag. The obtained power conversion efficiency exceeding 2% undoubtedly demonstrated its attractive photovoltaic application potential and further investigation necessity.