The present embodiments provide a semiconductor element comprising a first electrode, an active layer, a second electrode comprising a homogeneous metal layer, and further a barrier layer comprising a transparent metal oxide. The barrier layer is placed between the active layer and the second electrode. The present embodiments also provide a method for manufacturing said semiconductor element.

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 may have 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.

In one aspect, nanostructured films are described herein comprising controlled architectures on multiple length scales (e.g. 3). As described further herein, the ability to control film properties on multiple length scales enables tailoring structures of the films to specific applications including, but not limited to, optoelectronic, catalytic and photoelectrochemical cell applications. In some embodiments, a nanostructured film comprises a porous inorganic scaffold comprising particles of an electrically insulating inorganic oxide. An electrically conductive metal oxide coating is adhered to the porous inorganic scaffold, wherein the conductive metal oxide coating binds adjacent particles of the insulating inorganic oxide.

Disclosed is a semiconductor-liquid junction based photoelectrochemical (PEC) cell for the unassisted solar splitting of water into hydrogen and oxygen gas, the solar-driven reduction of CO.sub.2 to higher-order hydrocarbons, and the solar-driven synthesis of NH.sub.3. The disclosed system can employ a photocathode based upon wurtzite hexagonal semiconductors that can be tailored with proper band alignment for the redox potentials for water, CO.sub.2 reduction, and NH.sub.3 production, and with bandgap energy for maximum solar absorption. The design maximizes the carrier collection efficiency by leveraging spontaneous and piezoelectric polarization in these materials systems to generate hot electrons within the photocathode. These electrons have sufficient excess energy, preserved at a designed energy capture region, to overcome the kinetic overpotential (surface chemistry limitation) required for the reactions to occur at a high rate.

An electrode including an electrode material of the same type as electrode materials used in Li-ion batteries and a dye is provided. The electrode may further include a semiconductor material. The electrode is used in the manufacture of a battery that is rechargeable using light. Method of manufacturing an electrode, including the following steps: (a) preparing a film including an electrode material of the same type as electrode materials used in Li-ion batteries; and (b) bringing into contact the film and a solution including a photosensitive dye.

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.

A carrier system carries a dye (A) and a co-adsorbent (B) represented by general formula (1): ##STR00001## wherein, ring A represents a 5- or 6-membered heterocycle and may further be fused; a hydrogen atom in the ring A may be replaced by a halogen atom, a cyano group, a nitro group, an OR.sup.2 group, an SR.sup.2 group, or a hydrocarbon group that may have a substituent; Z represents a divalent aliphatic hydrocarbon group that is interrupted zero to three times by O etc.; Z.sup.1 represents a divalent aromatic group; R.sup.1 represents a carboxylic acid group, a sulfonic acid group, a phosphoric acid group, or a phosphonic acid group; R.sup.2 and R.sup.3 each represent a hydrogen atom or a hydrocarbon group that may have a substituent; An.sup.m represents an m-valent anion; m represents an integer of 1 or 2; and p represents a coefficient for keeping the electrical charge neutral.

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 (140) and a second semiconductor layer (130). The first semiconductor layer (140) 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 (140) is 10 mass % or more and 90 mass % or less.

A dye-sensitized photoelectric conversion element includes a dye-sensitized photoelectric conversion cell. The dye-sensitized photoelectric conversion cell includes: a first electrode substrate including a transparent substrate and a transparent conductive film provided on the transparent substrate; a second electrode facing the first electrode substrate; an oxide semiconductor layer provided on the first electrode substrate or the second electrode; a photosensitizing dye adsorbed to the oxide semiconductor layer; and an electrolyte provided between the first electrode substrate and the second electrode. The first electrode substrate further has an ultraviolet absorbing layer. A transmittance T.sub.A (%) of the electrolyte at a wavelength corresponding to a band gap of an oxide semiconductor that constitutes the oxide semiconductor layer and a transmittance T.sub.B (%) of the first electrode substrate at the wavelength satisfy the following Equations (1): 0.01?T.sub.A?T.sub.B<42 and (2): 3.5?T.sub.B?70.

The present disclosure relates to perovskite thin film low-pressure chemical deposition equipment and a usage method thereof, and application of the usage method. The equipment comprises a main chamber, wherein two precursor heating plates and a substrate holddown groove are respectively arranged in the main chamber, the precursor heating plates are respectively provided with precursor containers, a plurality of groups of substrates on which a thin film is to be deposited are arranged on the substrate holddown groove, each group is provided with two substrates which are tightly attached back to back, and the surface of each of the two substrates on which a thin film is to be deposited faces towards one end of the main chamber; the left and right ends of the main chamber respectively communicate with carrier gas pipelines provided with carrier gas inlet mass flow control valves, the main chamber also communicates with a vacuum providing unit, and the main chamber is also provided with a main chamber heater for heating the substrates; and the carrier gas pipelines on the two ends respectively communicate with solvent evaporators. By adopting simultaneous introduction of the gas from the two ends of the main chamber and the substrate back-to-back configuration mode, the rate of preparing the perovskite thin film by the method is doubled as compared with the existing methods.