The present technology relates to a photoelectric conversion element, a measuring method of the same, a solid-state imaging device, an electronic device, and a solar cell capable of further improving a quantum efficiency in a photoelectric conversion element using a photoelectric conversion layer including an organic semiconductor material. The photoelectric conversion element includes two electrodes forming a positive electrode (11) and a negative electrode (14), at least one charge blocking layer (13, 15) arranged between the two electrodes, and a photoelectric conversion layer (12) arranged between the two electrodes. The at least one charge blocking layer is an electron blocking layer (13) or a hole blocking layer (15), and a potential of the charge blocking layer is bent. The present technology is applied to, for example, a solid-state imaging device, a solar cell, and the like having a photoelectric conversion element.

A method for manufacturing a photoelectric conversion element includes providing a base structure including a semiconductor substrate having a principal surface, a first electrode located on or above the principal surface, second electrodes which are located on or above the principal surface and which are one- or two-dimensionally arranged, and a photoelectric conversion film covering at least the second electrodes; forming a mask layer on the photoelectric conversion film, the mask layer being conductive and including a covering section covering a portion of the photoelectric conversion film that overlaps the second electrodes in plan view; and partially removing the photoelectric conversion film by immersing the base structure and the mask layer in an etchant.

A high efficiency small molecule tandem solar cell is disclosed. The tandem cell may include a first subcell comprising a first photoactive region and a second subcell comprising a second photoactive region. The first and second photoactive regions are designed to minimize spectral overlap and maximize photocurrent. The device may further include an interconnecting layer, disposed between the first subcell and the second subcell, that is at least substantially transparent.

A thin film of amorphous metal oxide includes zinc (Zn), silicon (Si) and oxygen (O), the atomic ratio of Zn/(Zn+Si) being 0.30 to 0.95.

Provided is a photoelectric conversion element including: a first electrode; a hole blocking layer; an electron transport layer; a hole transport layer; and a second electrode, wherein the hole blocking layer includes a metal oxide including a titanium atom and a niobium atom.

To provide an organic photoelectric conversion element, imaging device, and optical sensor having low dark currents, and a method of manufacturing a photoelectric conversion element. Provided is a photoelectric conversion element, including: a first electrode; an organic photoelectric conversion layer disposed in a layer upper than the first electrode, the organic photoelectric conversion layer including one or two or more organic semiconductor materials; a buffer layer disposed in a layer upper than the organic photoelectric conversion layer, the buffer layer including an amorphous inorganic material and having an energy level of 7.7 to 8.0 eV and a difference in a HOMO energy level from the organic photoelectric conversion layer of 2 eV or more; and a second electrode disposed in a layer upper than the buffer layer.

The present technology relates to a solid-state image sensor, a photoelectric conversion film, an electron blocking layer, an imaging apparatus, and an electronic device that can appropriately photoelectrically convert light of specific wavelengths with high spectral characteristics and high photoelectric conversion efficiency. A photoelectric conversion layer or an electron blocking layer is configured with a photoelectric conversion film made of only a compound represented by Chemical Formula (1). ##STR00001##
The present technology can be applied to a solid-state image sensor.

An imaging device includes: pixels arranged one-dimensionally or two-dimensionally, each of the pixels including an electrode that is electrically connected to the other pixels, a charge capturing unit that is separated from the other pixels, and a photoelectric conversion layer that is located between the electrode and the charge capturing unit, the photoelectric conversion layer being continuous among the pixels. The photoelectric conversion layer contains semiconductor carbon nanotubes, and one of a first substance and a second substance, the first substance having an electron affinity larger than that of the semiconducting carbon nanotubes, the second substance having a ionization energy smaller than that of the semiconductor carbon nanotubes.

An imaging device having pixels, each pixel including: a photoelectric conversion unit including a first electrode, a second electrode, a photoelectric conversion layer between the first and second electrodes, and a hole-blocking layer between the first electrode and the photoelectric conversion layer. The photoelectric conversion unit is applied with a voltage between the first electrode and the second electrode. The photoelectric conversion unit has a characteristic, responsive to the voltage within a range from a first voltage to a second voltage, showing that a density of current passing between the first electrode and the second electrode when light is incident on the photoelectric conversion layer becomes substantially equal to that when no light is incident on the photoelectric conversion layer. The range from the first voltage to the second voltage includes 0V, and a difference between the first voltage and the second voltage is 0.5 V or more.

An imaging element (photoelectric conversion element) includes a photoelectric conversion unit formed by laminating a first electrode 21, a photoelectric conversion layer 23A, and a second electrode 22. Between the first electrode 21 and the photoelectric conversion layer 23A, a composite oxide layer 23B containing indium-gallium-zinc composite oxide is formed. The composite oxide layer 23B includes a first layer 23B.sub.1 adjacent to the first electrode 21 and a second layer 23B.sub.2 adjacent to the photoelectric conversion layer 23A. The first layer 23B.sub.1 has a higher indium composition than the second layer 23B.sub.2, or the first layer 23B.sub.1 has a higher gallium composition than the second layer 23B.sub.2, or the first layer 23B.sub.1 has a higher zinc composition than the second layer 23B.sub.2.