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.

Provided are a solar cell that can be manufactured by non-vacuum process and can have more excellent photoelectric conversion efficiency and a manufacturing method therefor as well as such a semiconductor device and a manufacturing method therefor. A solar cell, includes at least a first semiconductor layer and a second semiconductor layer. The first semiconductor layer includes metal oxide particles of 1 nm or more and 500 nm or less in average particle size and a compound having relative permittivity of 2 or more and 1,000 or less. For instance, the content of the organic compound in the first semiconductor layer is 10 mass % or more and 90 mass % or less.

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.

A photoelectrode (12) for use in a photocell (10) comprises a graphene substrate (22) functionalized with carbon quantum dots (CQDs) (20). A photocell (10) comprises a photoelectrode (12), a counter electrode (14), and an electrolyte (26). The electrolyte (26) may be a solid polymer electrolyte. The photocell (10) may be an electrochemical UV sensor. A method for sensing UV radiation comprises quantifying a power density of UV radiation using an electrochemical UV (10) sensor comprising CQDs (20) as a photoactive material. The CQDs (20) may be nitrogen-doped CQDs.

There is described a silicon photoanode generally having a silicon-based substrate; and a protective layer covering the silicon-base substrate, the protective layer having a transition metal dichalcogenide (TMDC) material, being uniform and having a thickness below about 8 nm.

Forming a semiconductor device includes forming a first conductive line on a substrate, forming a memory cell including a switching device and a data storage element on the first conductive line, and forming a second conductive line on the memory cell. Forming the switching device includes forming a first semiconductor layer, forming a first doped region by injecting a n-type impurity into the first semiconductor layer, forming a second semiconductor layer thicker than the first semiconductor layer, on the first semiconductor layer having the first doped region, forming a second doped region by injecting a p-type impurity into an upper region of the second semiconductor layer, and forming a P-N diode by performing a heat treatment process to diffuse the n-type impurity and the p-type impurity in the first doped region and the second doped region to form a P-N junction of the P-N diode in the second semiconductor layer.

An electrochemical reaction device includes: an electrolytic solution tank including a first storage part storing a first electrolytic solution and a second storage part storing a second electrolytic solution; a reduction electrode immersed in the first electrolytic solution; and an oxidation electrode immersed in the second electrolytic solution. The second electrolytic solution contains a substance to be oxidized. The first electrolytic solution has a first liquid phase containing water and a second liquid phase containing an organic solvent and being in contact with the first liquid phase. At least one liquid phase of the first liquid phase or the second liquid phase contains a substance to be reduced and is in contact with the reduction electrode.

According to one embodiment, a photoelectric conversion element includes a first conductive layer, a second conductive layer, a photoelectric conversion layer located between the first conductive layer and the second conductive layer. The photoelectric conversion layer includes Sn and Pb. The photoelectric conversion layer includes a first partial region, a second partial region between the first partial region and the second conductive layer, and a third partial region between the second partial region and the second conductive layer. The first partial region includes a first Sn concentration and a first Pb concentration. The second partial region includes at least one of a second Sn concentration or a second Pb concentration. The second Sn concentration is less than the first Sn concentration. The second Pb concentration is greater than the first Pb concentration. The third partial region includes Sn, oxygen, and Pb.

A transparent electrode with a transparent substrate and a composite layer disposed thereon, wherein the composite layer includes a graphene layer and a plurality of nanoparticles, wherein the nanoparticles are embedded in the graphene layer and extend through a thickness of the graphene layer, and wherein the plurality of nanoparticles are in direct contact with the transparent substrate and a gap is present between the graphene layer and the transparent substrate.

Lead halide perovskites have proven to be a versatile class of visible light absorbers that allow rapid access to the long minority carrier lifetimes and diffusion lengths desirable for traditional single-junction photovoltaics. Computational screening identified both Fe- and Co-substituted MAPbBr.sub.3 as promising intermediate band candidate materials, and the later films were synthesized via conventional solution-based processing techniques. First-principles density functional theory (DFT) calculations support the existence of intermediate bands upon Co incorporation and enhanced sub-gap absorption, which are confirmed by UV-visible-NIR absorption spectroscopy. The simple tenability combined with steady state and time-resolved PL studies that reveal no sign of self-quenching suggest this class of materials to be promising for intermediate band photovoltaics.