An optical sensor for detecting chemical, biochemical or biological substances includes a laser and a semiconductor chip. The sensor includes at least one photodetector and at least one high-contrast grating that are monolithically integrated in the semiconductor chip. The high-contrast grating is configured to optically couple radiation emitted by the laser into the photodetector. The coupling behavior of the high-contrast grating depends on the optical properties of external substances that are brought near to or in contact with the high-contrast grating.

A window structure includes a window, a design layer structure on the window, a light shield layer on the design layer structure, and a light absorption layer. The design layer structure includes a first hole exposing a portion of the window. The light shield layer includes a second hole in fluid communication with the first hole. The light absorption layer covers at least a portion of the design layer structure exposed by the first and second holes, and includes a third hole exposing a portion of the window. By including the light absorption layer of a gray or black color to cover exposed portions of the design layer structure, a vignette about an image caused by the design layer structure is prevented.

A light sensing device includes a substrate, a semiconductor device layer, a metal and insulation material stacked structure, and a light absorption layer. The substrate has a recessed portion. The semiconductor device layer is located on the substrate. The metal and insulation material stacked structure is located on the semiconductor device layer and includes a first interconnect structure, a second interconnect structure surrounding the first interconnect structure, and a device conductive line. The light absorption layer is located on the metal and insulation material stacked structure. The first interconnect structure is located between the light absorption layer and the semiconductor device layer, such that the light absorption layer and the semiconductor device layer located at different levels can be connected to each other and exchange heat.

A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device includes: forming, on a cover glass, a film having a predetermined specific gravity and configured to shield an alpha ray that arises from the cover glass; and bonding the cover glass on which the film is formed and an image pickup device, by filling a transparent resin between the cover glass and the image pickup device.

Photovoltaic devices such as solar cells, hybrid solar cell-batteries, and other such devices may include an active layer disposed between two electrodes, the active layer having perovskite material and other material such as mesoporous material, interfacial layers, thin-coat interfacial layers, and combinations thereof. The perovskite material may be photoactive. The perovskite material may be disposed between two or more other materials in the photovoltaic device. Inclusion of these materials in various arrangements within an active layer of a photovoltaic device may improve device performance. Other materials may be included to further improve device performance, such as, for example: additional perovskites, and additional interfacial layers.

Embodiments of the invention generally relate to device fabrication of thin films used as solar devices or other electronic devices, and include textured back reflectors utilized in solar applications. In one embodiment, a method for forming a textured metallic back reflector which includes depositing a metallic layer on a gallium arsenide material within a thin film stack, forming an array of metallic islands from the metallic layer during an annealing process, removing or etching material from the gallium arsenide material to form apertures between the metallic islands, and depositing a metallic reflector layer to fill the apertures and cover the metallic islands. In another embodiment, a textured metallic back reflector includes an array of metallic islands disposed on a gallium arsenide material, a plurality of apertures disposed between the metallic islands and extending into the gallium arsenide material, a metallic reflector layer disposed over the metallic islands, and a plurality of reflector protrusions formed between the metallic islands and extending from the metallic reflector layer and into the apertures formed in the gallium arsenide material.

A photovoltaic device (e.g., solar cell) includes: a front substrate (e.g., glass substrate); a semiconductor absorber film; a back contact including a first conductive layer of or including copper (Cu) and a second conductive layer of or including molybdenum (Mo); and a rear substrate (e.g., glass substrate). A selenium blocking layer is provided between at least the Cu inclusive layer and the Mo inclusive layer.

A solar cell with an anti-reflection structure comprises a solar cell substrate, a meshed electric-conduction layer formed on one surface of the solar cell substrate, a plurality of microspheres disposed on the meshed electric-conduction layer, and a dielectric layer. The microspheres have a diameter of 0.1-50 m. The dielectric layer is formed between the meshed electric-conduction layer and the microspheres, and has a thickness smaller than the diameter of the microspheres to make the microspheres protrude from the dielectric layer. The meshed electric-conduction layer is formed via a screen-printing method. The present invention uses the microspheres and the meshed electric-conduction layer to achieve an excellent anti-reflection effect. Further, the present invention has the advantages of a simple fabrication process and a low fabrication cost.

Disclosed herein are polysilsesquioxane-based anti-reflective coating (ARC) compositions, methods of preparation, and methods of deposition on a substrate. In one embodiment, the polysilsesquioxane of this disclosure is prepared in a two-step process of acid catalyzed hydrolysis of organoalkoxysilane followed by addition of tetralkoxysilane that generates silicone polymers with >40 mol % silanol based on Si-NMR. These high silanol siloxane polymers are stable and have a long shelf-life in polar organic solvents at room temperature. Also disclosed are low refractive index ARC made from these compositions with and without additives such as porogens, templates, thermal radical initiator, photo radical initiators, crosslinkers, SiOH condensation catalyst and nano-fillers. Also disclosed are methods and apparatus for applying coatings to flat substrates including substrate pre-treatment processes, coating processes and coating curing processes including skin-curing using hot-air knives. Also disclosed are coating compositions and formulations for highly tunable, durable, highly abrasion-resistant functionalized anti-reflective coatings.

A photo-sensing unit including a first electrode, a first insulation layer, a photo-sensing structure and a second electrode is provided. The first insulation layer covers the first electrode and has an opening exposing the first electrode. The photo-sensing structure is located on the first electrode and disposed in the opening of the first insulation layer. The photo-sensing structure includes a first photo-sensing layer and a second photo-sensing layer stacked with each other. A material of the first photo-sensing layer is Si.sub.xGe.sub.yO.sub.z. A material of the second photo-sensing layer is Si.sub.vO.sub.w. The second electrode covers the photo-sensing structure. A photo-sensing apparatus including the photo-sensing unit and a fabricating method of a photo-sensing unit are also provided.