Titania is a semiconductor and photocatalyst that is also chemically inert. With its bandgap of 3.0, to activate the photocatalytic property of titania requires light of about 390 nm wavelength, which is in the ultra-violet, where sunlight is very low in intensity. A method and devices are disclosed wherein stress is induced and managed in a thin film of titania in order to shift and lower the bandgap energy into the longer wavelengths that are more abundant in sunlight. Applications of this stress-induced bandgap-shifted titania photocatalytic surface include photoelectrolysis for production of hydrogen gas from water, photovoltaics for production of electricity, and photocatalysis for detoxification and disinfection.

Titania is a semiconductor and photocatalyst that is also chemically inert. With its bandgap of 3.0, to activate the photocatalytic property of titania requires light of about 390 nm wavelength, which is in the ultra-violet, where sunlight is very low in intensity. A method and devices are disclosed wherein stress is induced and managed in a thin film of titania in order to shift and lower the bandgap energy into the longer wavelengths that are more abundant in sunlight. Applications of this stress-induced bandgap-shifted titania photocatalytic surface include photoelectrolysis for production of hydrogen gas from water, photovoltaics for production of electricity, and photocatalysis for detoxification and disinfection.

Embodiments described herein may be related to apparatuses, processes, and techniques directed to a planar germanium photodetector that includes n-type and p-type amorphous silicon deposits on a germanium slab. During operation, a uniform electrical field is formed across the germanium bulk between the amorphous silicon deposits. Other embodiments may be described and/or claimed.

Fabrication methods and structures relating to backplanes for back contact solar cells that provide for solar cell substrate reinforcement and electrical interconnects as well as Fabrication methods and structures for forming thin film back contact solar cells are described.

An optoelectronic device including a crystalline semiconductor layer based on GeSn and including a pin junction. This formed semiconductor layer includes a base portion; a single-crystal intermediate portion having an average value x.sub.pi1 of proportion of tin less than x.sub.ps1, thus forming a barrier region against charge carriers flowing in an upper portion; and the single-crystal upper portion including a homogeneous medium with a proportion of tin x.sub.ps1, and vertical structures having an average value x.sub.ps2 of proportion of tin greater than x.sub.ps1, thus forming regions for emitting or for receiving infrared radiation.

To provide a miniaturized transistor having highly stable electrical characteristics. Furthermore, also in a semiconductor device including the transistor, high performance and high reliability are achieved. The transistor includes, over a substrate, a conductor, an oxide semiconductor, and an insulator. The oxide semiconductor includes a first region and a second region. The resistance of the second region is lower than that of the first region. The entire surface of the first region in the oxide semiconductor is surrounded in all directions by the conductor with the insulator interposed therebetween.

A method of the invention which manufactures a substrate with a transparent conductive film, includes: preparing a base body that has a top surface and a back surface and has an a-Si film coating at least one of the top surface and the back surface; and setting temperatures of the base body and the a-Si film to be in the range of 70 to 220° C. in a film formation space having a processing gas containing hydrogen, applying a sputtering voltage to a target, carrying out DC sputtering, and thereby forming the a-Si film on a transparent conductive film.

A device includes a first stage having a first optical switch, a first transistor connected to the first optical switch, and a second transistor connected to the first optical switch and the first transistor. The device also includes a second stage having a second optical switch, a third transistor connected to the second transistor and the second optical switch, and a fourth transistor connected to the second transistor, the second optical switch, and the third transistor.

n-type amorphous semiconductor layers (4) and p-type amorphous semiconductor layers (5) are alternately disposed on the back surface of a semiconductor substrate (1) so as to be separated from each other at a desired interval paralleled with the direction of the surface of the semiconductor substrate (1). An electrode (6) is disposed on the n-type amorphous semiconductor layer (4), and an electrode (7) is disposed on the p-type amorphous semiconductor layer (5). A protective film (8) includes an insulating film, and is disposed on a passivation film (3), the n-type amorphous semiconductor layer (4), the p-type amorphous semiconductor layer (5), and the electrodes (6, 7), so as to be in contact with the passivation film (3), the n-type amorphous semiconductor layer (4), the p-type amorphous semiconductor layer (5), and the electrodes (6, 7).

A photoelectric conversion element includes a semiconductor, an intrinsic layer disposed on the semiconductor and containing hydrogenated amorphous silicon, a first-conductivity-type layer that covers a part of the intrinsic layer and contains hydrogenated amorphous silicon of a first conductivity type, a second-conductivity-type layer that covers a part of the intrinsic layer and contains hydrogenated amorphous silicon of a second conductivity type, an insulating film covering an end region of the first-conductivity-type layer, a first electrode disposed on the first-conductivity-type layer, and a second electrode disposed on the second-conductivity-type layer. An end portion of the second-conductivity-type layer is located on the insulating film or above the insulating film.