Photovoltaic module comprising a plurality of multijunction photovoltaic cells, at least one of said multijunction photovoltaic cells comprising: a first photovoltaic sub-cell extending over a first predetermined area; a second photovoltaic sub-cell provided on said first photovoltaic sub-cell and in electrical connection therewith, said second photovoltaic sub-cell extending over a second predetermined area which is smaller than said first predetermined area so as to define at least one zone in which said first photovoltaic sub-cell is uncovered by said second photovoltaic sub-cell; an electrically-insulating layer situated upon said first photovoltaic sub-cell in at least a part of said zone; and an electrically-conductive layer situated upon at least part of said electrically-insulating layer and in electrical connection with a surface of said second photovoltaic sub-cell, wherein at least one of said multijunction photovoltaic cells is electrically connected to at least one other of said multijunction photovoltaic cells by means of at least one electrical interconnector electrically connected to said electrically-conductive layer in said zone.

Tandem solar cell configurations are provided where at least one of the cells is a metal chalcogenide cell. A four-terminal tandem solar cell configuration has two electrically independent solar cells stacked on each other. A two-terminal solar cell configuration has two electrically coupled solar cells (same current through both cells) stacked on each other. Carrier selective contacts can be used to make contact to the metal chalcogenide cell (s) to alleviate the troublesome Fermi level pinning issue. Carrier-selective contacts can also remove the need to provide doping of the metal chalcogenide. Doping of the metal chalcogenide can be provided by charge transfer. These two ideas can be practiced independently or together in any combination.

Tandem solar cell configurations are provided where at least one of the cells is a metal chalcogenide cell. A four-terminal tandem solar cell configuration has two electrically independent solar cells stacked on each other. A two-terminal solar cell configuration has two electrically coupled solar cells (same current through both cells) stacked on each other. Carrier selective contacts can be used to make contact to the metal chalcogenide cell (s) to alleviate the troublesome Fermi level pinning issue. Carrier-selective contacts can also remove the need to provide doping of the metal chalcogenide. Doping of the metal chalcogenide can be provided by charge transfer. These two ideas can be practiced independently or together in any combination.

A solar cell of an embodiment includes a p-electrode, an n-electrode, a p-type light-absorbing layer located between the p-electrode and the n-electrode and mainly containing a cuprous oxide, and an n-type layer that includes a first n-type layer which is located between the p-type light-absorbing layer and the n-electrode, which mainly contains a compound represented by Ga.sub.v1Zn.sub.v2Sn.sub.v3M1.sub.v4O.sub.v5, the M1 being one or more selected from the group consisting of Hf, Zr, In, Ti, Al, B, Mg, Si, and Ge, the v1, the v2, and the v4 being numerical values of 0.00 or more, the v3 and the v5 being numerical values of more than 0, at least one of the v1 and the v2 being a numerical value of more than 0, and the v5 when a sum of the v1, the v2, the v3, and the v4 is 1 being 1.00 or more and 2.00 or less, and which is located on the n-electrode side, and a second n-type layer which is a layer that mainly contains a compound represented by Ga.sub.w1M2.sub.w2M3.sub.w3M4.sub.w4O.sub.w5, the M2 being Al or/and B, the M3 is one or more selected from the group consisting of In, Ti, Zn, Hf, and Zr, the M4 being one or more selected from the group consisting of Sn, Si, and Ge, the w1 and the w5 being numerical values of more than 0, the w2, the w3, and the w4 being numerical values of 0.00 or more, and the w5 when a sum of the w1, the w2, the w3, and the w4 is 2 being 3.00 or more and 3.80 or less, and which is located on the p-type light-absorbing layer side.

A solar cell of an embodiment includes a p-electrode, an n-electrode, a p-type light-absorbing layer located between the p-electrode and the n-electrode and mainly containing a cuprous oxide, and an n-type layer that includes a first n-type layer which is located between the p-type light-absorbing layer and the n-electrode, which mainly contains a compound represented by Ga.sub.v1Zn.sub.v2Sn.sub.v3M1.sub.v4O.sub.v5, the M1 being one or more selected from the group consisting of Hf, Zr, In, Ti, Al, B, Mg, Si, and Ge, the v1, the v2, and the v4 being numerical values of 0.00 or more, the v3 and the v5 being numerical values of more than 0, at least one of the v1 and the v2 being a numerical value of more than 0, and the v5 when a sum of the v1, the v2, the v3, and the v4 is 1 being 1.00 or more and 2.00 or less, and which is located on the n-electrode side, and a second n-type layer which is a layer that mainly contains a compound represented by Ga.sub.w1M2.sub.w2M3.sub.w3M4.sub.w4O.sub.w5, the M2 being Al or/and B, the M3 is one or more selected from the group consisting of In, Ti, Zn, Hf, and Zr, the M4 being one or more selected from the group consisting of Sn, Si, and Ge, the w1 and the w5 being numerical values of more than 0, the w2, the w3, and the w4 being numerical values of 0.00 or more, and the w5 when a sum of the w1, the w2, the w3, and the w4 is 2 being 3.00 or more and 3.80 or less, and which is located on the p-type light-absorbing layer side.

The present application relates to copper-doped double perovskites, for example, copper-doped double perovskites of the formula (I) and to uses thereof, for example as low-bandgap materials such as a semiconducting material in a device. The present application also relates to methods of tuning the bandgap of a Cs.sub.2SbAgZ.sub.6 double perovskite (for example, wherein Z is Cl) comprising doping the double perovskite with copper.
Cs.sub.2Sb.sub.1-aAg.sub.1-bCu.sub.2xZ.sub.6  (I)

The present application relates to copper-doped double perovskites, for example, copper-doped double perovskites of the formula (I) and to uses thereof, for example as low-bandgap materials such as a semiconducting material in a device. The present application also relates to methods of tuning the bandgap of a Cs.sub.2SbAgZ.sub.6 double perovskite (for example, wherein Z is Cl) comprising doping the double perovskite with copper.
Cs.sub.2Sb.sub.1-aAg.sub.1-bCu.sub.2xZ.sub.6  (I)

The present disclosure relates to a solar battery. The solar battery comprises a semiconductor structure, a back electrode, and an upper electrode. The semiconductor structure defines a first surface and a second surface. The semiconductor structure comprises an N-type semiconductor layer and a P-type semiconductor layer. The back electrode is located on the first surface. The upper electrode is located on the second surface. The back electrode comprises a first carbon nanotube, the upper electrode comprises a second carbon nanotube, and the first carbon nanotube intersects with the second carbon nanotube. A multilayer structure is formed by an overlapping region of the first carbon nanotube, the semiconductor structure and the second carbon nanotube.

Solar cells having emitter regions composed of wide bandgap semiconductor material are described. In an example, a method includes forming, in a process tool having a controlled atmosphere, a thin dielectric layer on a surface of a semiconductor substrate of the solar cell. The semiconductor substrate has a bandgap. Without removing the semiconductor substrate from the controlled atmosphere of the process tool, a semiconductor layer is formed on the thin dielectric layer. The semiconductor layer has a bandgap at least approximately 0.2 electron Volts (eV) above the bandgap of the semiconductor substrate.

Solar cells having emitter regions composed of wide bandgap semiconductor material are described. In an example, a method includes forming, in a process tool having a controlled atmosphere, a thin dielectric layer on a surface of a semiconductor substrate of the solar cell. The semiconductor substrate has a bandgap. Without removing the semiconductor substrate from the controlled atmosphere of the process tool, a semiconductor layer is formed on the thin dielectric layer. The semiconductor layer has a bandgap at least approximately 0.2 electron Volts (eV) above the bandgap of the semiconductor substrate.