The present disclosure relates to transparent conducting films (TCF). In particular, the disclosed TCF are transparent to ultraviolet (UV) light. The TCF can be grown by radio frequency (RF) sputtering and remain in the advantageous perovskite phase. Optical stacks made of substrates with deposited TCF are also disclosed.

The invention provides processes for the manufacture of conductive transparent films and electronic or optoelectronic devices comprising same.

The present invention proposes a method to form a gradient thin film using a spray pyrolysis technique. The method comprises providing a base substrate, preparing a spray aqueous solution by mixing at least two precursor compounds comprising at least two different elements and spraying the spray aqueous solution onto the base substrate. According to the present invention, the ratio of the concentration of the at least two different elements within the spray aqueous solution is varied while performing the method. In this way, a thin film having a gradient of elemental composition over its layer thickness may be formed.

Topological insulators can be utilized in a new type of infrared photodetector that is intrinsically sensitive to the polarization of incident light and static magnetic fields. The detector isolates single topological insulator surfaces and allows light collection and exposure to static magnetic fields. The wavelength range of interest is between 750 nm and about 100 microns. This detector eliminates the need for external polarization selective optics. Polarization sensitive infrared photodetectors are useful for optoelectronics applications, such as light detection in environments with low visibility in the visible wavelength regime.

An energy harvesting system for generating electrical energy, includes a first substrate, a perovskite layer formed on the first substrate, a charge transport layer disposed on the perovskite layer, and the charge transport layer being configured to slide over the perovskite layer, and a second substrate formed on the charge transport layer.

A composition of matter, in particular a photovoltaic cell, comprising: at least one core semiconductor nanowire on a graphitic substrate, said at least one core nanowire having been grown epitaxially on said substrate wherein said nanowire comprises at least one group III-V compound or at least one group II-VI compound or at least one group IV element; a semiconductor shell surrounding said core nanowire, said shell comprising at least one group III-V compound or at least one group II-VI compound or at least one group IV element such that said core nanowire and said shell form a n-type semiconductor and a p-type semiconductor respectively or vice versa; and an outer conducting coating surrounding said shell which forms an electrode contact.

The present invention relates to a method for modifying the surface of a substrate made of electrically conductive metal oxide and notably made of ITO, comprising the following steps consisting in: (i) bringing into contact said surface with a solution containing copper ions (Cu.sup.2+) and ammonia then washing and optionally drying the surface thus obtained; and (ii) bringing into contact the surface obtained following step (i) with a solution containing sodium tetraborohydride then washing and optionally drying the surface of said conductive metal oxide substrate. The present invention relates to the use of such a method within the scope of the metallisation by copper of a conductive metal oxide substrate as well as the surfaces of a modified and metallised conductive metal oxide substrate thus obtained.

One embodiment can provide a current-collecting mechanism of a photovoltaic structure. The current-collecting mechanism can include a top metallic grid positioned on a top surface of the photovoltaic structure and a bottom metallic grid positioned on the bottom surface of the photovoltaic structure. The top metallic grid can include a top busbar positioned near an edge of the photovoltaic structure, and the bottom metallic grid can include a bottom busbar positioned near an opposite edge. The top busbar and the bottom busbar can have complementary topology profiles such that, when the edge of the photovoltaic structure overlaps with an opposite edge of an adjacent photovoltaic structure, the top busbar of the photovoltaic structure and the bottom busbar of the adjacent photovoltaic structure interlock with each other.

A solar cell apparatus 100 and a method for forming said solar cell apparatus 100, comprising a substrate 101, a n-type transparent conductive oxide (TCO) layer 102 deposited atop said substrate 101, a p-i-n structure 200 that includes a p-type layer 103, an i-type layer 104, a n-type layer 105, a metal back layer 106 deposited atop said n-type layer 105 of the p-i-n structure 200. The n-type layer 105 comprises n-type donors 115 including phosphorus atoms. The n-type donors 115 include oxygen atoms at an atomic concentration comprised between 5% and 25% of the overall atomic composition of the n-type layer 105.

Provided is a light receiving device including a transparent electrode and a method of manufacturing the light receiving device. A transparent electrode is formed so as to be in contact with a photoelectric conversion layer which absorbs light to generate electric energy, and the transparent electrode is formed by using a resistance change material which has high transmittance with respect to light in the entire wavelength range and of which resistance state is to be changed from a high resistance state into a low resistance state if a voltage exceeding a threshold voltage inherent in the resistance change material so that conducting filaments are formed in the transparent electrode. Accordingly, since the transparent electrode has high transmittance characteristic with respect to the light in the entire wavelength range and high conductivity characteristic, the light receiving device also has high photoelectric conversion efficiency and good electric characteristics.