The invention relates to a method of producing a plate arrangement comprising two plates (1, 2) which, at least in sections, have an intermediate space (4) located between them and a constant distance (d) to one another and/or are arranged parallel to one another and between which a fusible solder material (3, 3) is arranged. The task of setting a defined distance between the plates as accurately as possible is solved according to the invention by creating a pressure difference between the intermediate space (4) between the plates and the outer space surrounding the plates in such a way that the pressure in the outer space is higher than in the intermediate space (4) and that the temperature of the solder material (3, 3) is at least temporarily raised above its melting temperature during the existence of the pressure difference.

A photoelectric conversion element including: a first substrate; a first electrode; a photoelectric conversion layer; a second electrode; and a second substrate, wherein the photoelectric conversion element includes a sealing part sealing at least the photoelectric conversion layer, the sealing part is disposed so as to surround periphery of the photoelectric conversion layer, and a width of the sealing part disposed at each side has a minimum width A and a maximum width B in a width direction, and a ratio (B/A) of the maximum width B to the minimum width A is 1.02 or more but 5.0 or less.

The present invention relates to a photovoltaic device (1a) comprising a solar cell unit (2a) including a working electrode comprising a light-absorbing layer (3), a counter electrode including a porous conductive layer (6), and a conducting medium for transferring charges between the counter electrode and the working electrode, and a conductor (7) electrically connected to the porous conductive layer (6). The solar cell unit (2a) comprises at least one adhering layer (8) arranged between the conductor (7) and the porous conductive layer (6) for attaching the conductor to the porous conductive layer. The adhering layer (8) comprises an adhesive and conducting particles distributed in the adhesive so that a conducting network is formed in the adhesive.

An element includes a first substrate and a layer including a first conductive layer with a first conductive portion and a second conductive layer. The element includes a cell including the first conductive portion, a second substrate and a sealing portion. A groove is formed between the first and second conductive layers, the element includes an insulating layer provided between the sealing portion and the first substrate, and an outer circumferential edge of the insulating layer is provided to surround the entire sealing portion. The insulating layer covers and hides a portion of the first conductive layer, which protrudes outside the sealing portion, inside from the outer circumferential edge of the insulating layer and outside the sealing portion, enters the groove and covers a part of the second conductive layer, and the rest of the second conductive layer is exposed.

The present invention is a dye-sensitized solar cell that has a pair of electrodes that oppose each other, a sealing section that joins the pair of electrodes, an electrolyte that fills a cell space that is surrounded by the pair of electrodes and the sealing section, wherein the sealing section has a resin sealing section that contains a resin, the resin sealing section has a changing-thickness section, the thickness of which increases or decreases as a distance from the electrolyte is increased and which has an inclined face, and the resin sealing section comes into contact, along the inclined face of the changing-thickness section, with an electrode of the pair of electrodes that opposes the inclined face.

Provided is a dye-sensitized solar cell element comprising at least one dye-sensitized solar cell, wherein the dye-sensitized solar cell includes a first base material including a transparent substrate, a second base material which faces the first base material, an annular sealing portion which bonds the first base material and the second base material, and an oxide semiconductor layer which is provided between the first base material and the second base material, wherein the second base material has a flexibility, wherein the second base material includes an annular bonding edge portion which is bonded to the sealing portion and a main body portion in an inner side of the bonding edge portion, and wherein a portion of the main body portion is a convex bending portion which is bent to be convex toward a side opposite to the first base material.

This metal substrate for a dye-sensitized solar cell includes a clad material including a nonporous first metal layer, arranged on an anode side of a dye-sensitized solar cell element, made of a metal having corrosion resistance against an electrolyte of the dye-sensitized solar cell element and a second metal layer made of a metal having lower electrical resistance than the first metal layer and bonded to a side of the first metal layer opposite to the dye-sensitized solar cell element.

A photovoltaic device comprising a first electrode, a second electrode, an active layer disposed at least partially between the first and second electrodes, an interfacial layer disposed at least partially between the first and second electrodes, and a non-stoichiometric oxide layer disposed at least partially between and in contact with one of the first or second electrodes and an encapsulant layer. The active layer of the photovoltaic device comprises a photoactive material.

The dye-sensitized solar cell element includes at least one dye-sensitized solar cell (DSC), a first current extracting portion and a second current extracting portion for extracting current from the at least one DSC. The DSC comprises a first electrode having a transparent substrate and a transparent conductive layer provided on the surface of the substrate, a second electrode facing the first electrode and having a metal substrate, an oxide semiconductor layer provided on the first electrode, and an annular sealing portion bonding the first electrode with the second electrode. The first current extracting portion is included in the conductive film of one DSC of the at least one DSC, the second current extracting portion is connected with the metal substrate of the second electrode of one DSC of the at least one DSC, and the first and second current extracting portions are disposed next to each other.

A photoelectric conversion element includes a first substrate, a second substrate, a first conductive layer, a photoelectric conversion layer, a porous insulating layer, a second conductive layer, a sealing member, and an electrolyte. The photoelectric conversion layer includes a porous semiconductor layer and a photosensitizer added to the porous semiconductor layer. The first conductive layer is divided by a groove into a first region where the photoelectric conversion layer is arranged, and a second region where the photoelectric conversion layer is not arranged. An insulating portion is arranged in and above the groove in a covering relation to a surface of the first region in part thereof where the photoelectric conversion layer is not arranged. The insulating portion has a denser structure than the porous insulating layer. When the photoelectric conversion layer and the insulating portion are projected onto a plane parallel to the first substrate from the side including the second substrate, a projection image of the insulating portion partly overlaps a projection image of the photoelectric conversion layer.