A solar cell having n-type and p-type interdigitated back contacts (IBCs), which cover the entire back surface of the absorber layer. The spatial separation of the IBCs is in a direction perpendicular to the back surface, thus providing borderless contacts having a zero-footprint separation. As the contacts are on the back, photons incident on the cell's front surface can be absorbed without any shadowing.

Provided herein is a diamond gammavoltaic cell comprising: a diamond body having a diamond body surface including first and second opposing surfaces; a low-barrier electrical contact formed on the first surface; and a high-barrier electrical contact formed on the second surface, wherein the diamond body surface that is not in contact with either the low-barrier electrical contact or the high-barrier electrical contact is at least partially surface transfer doped to provide a p-type surface.

A low cost IC solution is disclosed to provide Super CMOS microelectronics macros. Hereinafter, the Super CMOS or Schottky CMOS all refer to SCMOS. The SCMOS device solutions with a niche circuit element, the complementary low threshold Schottky barrier diode pairs (SBD) made by selected metal barrier contacts (Co/Ti) to P and NSi beds of the CMOS transistors. A DTL like new circuit topology and designed wide contents of broad product libraries, which used the integrated SBD and transistors (BJT, CMOS, and Flash versions) as basic components. The macros include diodes that are selectively attached to the diffusion bed of the transistors, configuring them to form generic logic gates, memory cores, and analog functional blocks from simple to the complicated, from discrete components to all grades of VLSI chips. Solar photon voltaic electricity conversion and bio-lab-on-a-chip are two newly extended fields of the SCMOS IC applications.

A low cost IC solution is disclosed to provide Super CMOS microelectronics macros. Hereinafter, the Super CMOS or Schottky CMOS all refer to SCMOS. The SCMOS device solutions with a niche circuit element, the complementary low threshold Schottky barrier diode pairs (SBD) made by selected metal barrier contacts (Co/Ti) to P and NSi beds of the CMOS transistors. A DTL like new circuit topology and designed wide contents of broad product libraries, which used the integrated SBD and transistors (BJT, CMOS, and Flash versions) as basic components. The macros include diodes that are selectively attached to the diffusion bed of the transistors, configuring them to form generic logic gates, memory cores, and analog functional blocks from simple to the complicated, from discrete components to all grades of VLSI chips. Solar photon voltaic electricity conversion and bio-lab-on-a-chip are two newly extended fields of the SCMOS IC applications.

A structure including a metal oxide semiconductor layer and a noble metal oxide layer, wherein the metal oxide semiconductor layer and the noble metal oxide layer are adjacent to each other, and a film thickness of the noble metal oxide layer is more than 10 nm.

A structure including a metal oxide semiconductor layer and a noble metal oxide layer, wherein the metal oxide semiconductor layer and the noble metal oxide layer are adjacent to each other, and a film thickness of the noble metal oxide layer is more than 10 nm.

A photovoltaic cell incorporating a semiconductor element (10) composed entirely of a single conductivity type. A biasing agent (26) having a work function different from that of the semiconductor element overlies a face of the element and produces a band bending and thus an electric field in a space charge region. Electrodes are in contact with the semiconductor element within the space charge region. Carriers generated by light absorbed in the semiconductor element are accelerated toward the electrodes by the field.

A photovoltaic cell incorporating a semiconductor element (10) composed entirely of a single conductivity type. A biasing agent (26) having a work function different from that of the semiconductor element overlies a face of the element and produces a band bending and thus an electric field in a space charge region. Electrodes are in contact with the semiconductor element within the space charge region. Carriers generated by light absorbed in the semiconductor element are accelerated toward the electrodes by the field.

Photovoltaic devices based on an Ag.sub.2ZnSn(S,Se).sub.4 (AZTSSe) absorber and techniques for formation thereof are provided. In one aspect, a method for forming a photovoltaic device includes the steps of: coating a substrate with a conductive layer; contacting the substrate with an Ag source, a Zn source, a Sn source, and at least one of a S source and a Se source under conditions sufficient to form an absorber layer on the conductive layer having Ag, Zn, Sn, and at least one of S and Se; and annealing the absorber layer. Methods of doping the AZTSSe are provided. A photovoltaic device is also provided.

Photovoltaic devices based on an Ag.sub.2ZnSn(S,Se).sub.4 (AZTSSe) absorber and techniques for formation thereof are provided. In one aspect, a method for forming a photovoltaic device includes the steps of: coating a substrate with a conductive layer; contacting the substrate with an Ag source, a Zn source, a Sn source, and at least one of a S source and a Se source under conditions sufficient to form an absorber layer on the conductive layer having Ag, Zn, Sn, and at least one of S and Se; and annealing the absorber layer. Methods of doping the AZTSSe are provided. A photovoltaic device is also provided.