Thin film solar cells of CdS/Sb2S3/C-Ag are developed on glass substrates coated with SnO2:F (FTO) by thermal evaporation of Sb2S3 powder. At a thickness of 110 nm, Sb2S3 thin film which is heated at 300 degrees C has an optical band gap E-g of 1.75 eV; optical absorption coefficient in the visible region of >10(5) cm(-1); and photoconductivity (n-type) of 1.5 x 10(-6) Omega(-1) cm(-1). The film with 450 nm in thickness is of E-g 1.5 eV. A solar cell, FTO/CdS/Sb2S3 (450 nm)/C-Ag, prepared with this film has an open circuit voltage, V-oc, of 600 mV, short circuit current density, J(sc), of 6.1 mA/cm(2), and a solar energy conversion efficiency of 1.27%. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.