Various growth techniques for growing bulk zinc phosphide Zn₃P₂ crystals and Zn₃P₂ thin films, fundamental properties of Zn₃P₂, their application to solar cells, and also their recent progress, have been surveyed in the present article together with some results concerning the crystal structure, electrical and optical properties of Zn₃P₂. In regard to Zn₃P₂ related solar cells, Schottky type and heterojunction type with a variety of configurations are discussed.