The invention bears on elementary nanoscale units nanostructured-formed inside a silicon material and the manufacturing process to implement them. Each elementary nanoscale unit is created by means of a limited displacement of two Si atoms outside a crystal elementary unit. A localized nanoscale transformation of the crystalline matter gets an unusual functionality by focusing in it a specific physical effect as is a highly useful additional set of electron energy levels that is optimized for the solar spectrum conversion to electricity. An adjusted energy set allows a low-energy secondary electron generation in a semiconductor, preferentially silicon, material for use especially in very-high efficiency all-silicon light-to-electricity converters. The manufacturing process to create such transformations in a semiconductor material bases on a local energy deposition like ion implantation or electron (γ,X) beam irradiation and suitable thermal treatment and is industrially easily available.

Provided is a method and apparatus for depositing an amorphous silicon film. The method includes supplying a source gas and an atmospheric gas onto a substrate in a state where the substrate is loaded in a chamber to deposit the amorphous silicon film on the substrate. The atmospheric gas includes at least one of hydrogen and helium. The source gas includes at least one of silane (SiH.sub.2), disilane (Si.sub.2H.sub.6), and dichlorosilane (SiCl.sub.2H.sub.2).

A photovoltaic device is proposed comprising a silicon-based substrate (2) having a p-type or n-type doping, with an intrinsic buffer layer (4) situated on said substrate. A first silicon layer (6) of a first doping type is situated on predetermined regions (4a) of the intrinsic buffer layer. The first layer has interstices (5) between said predetermined regions (4a). The first silicon layer comprises at least partially a microcrystalline layer at its side away from the substrate. A microcrystalline silicon layer (8) of a second doping type is situated on said first silicon layer (6). A third silicon layer (10) of the second doping type is situated on said intrinsic buffer layer at the interstices, the third silicon layer being amorphous at its side facing said silicon-based substrate and comprising an at least partially microcrystalline layer portion to the side away from the intrinsic buffer layer.

A method of forming a semiconductor material of a photovoltaic device that includes providing a surface of a hydrogenated amorphous silicon containing material, and annealing the hydrogenated amorphous silicon containing material in a deuterium containing atmosphere. Deuterium from the deuterium-containing atmosphere is introduced to the lattice of the hydrogenated amorphous silicon containing material through the surface of the hydrogenated amorphous silicon containing material. In some embodiments, the deuterium that is introduced to the lattice of the hydrogenated amorphous silicon containing material increases the stability of the hydrogenated amorphous silicon containing material.

Methods of fabricating emitter regions of solar cells are described. Methods of forming layers on substrates of solar cells, and the resulting solar cells, are also described.

An imaging panel includes a photoelectric conversion element disposed on a substrate. The photoelectric conversion element includes a cathode electrode, a first semiconductor layer having a first conductive type, the first semiconductor layer being in contact with the cathode electrode, a second semiconductor layer having a second conductive type different from the first conductive type, the second semiconductor layer being joined to the first semiconductor layer, and an anode electrode in contact with the second semiconductor layer. The second semiconductor layer has a greater extinction coefficient as closer to the anode electrode.

A photoelectric conversion device with improved electric characteristics is provided. The photoelectric conversion device has a structure in which a window layer is formed by a stack of a first silicon semiconductor layer and a second silicon semiconductor layer, and the second silicon semiconductor layer has high carrier concentration than the first silicon semiconductor layer and has an opening. Light irradiation is performed on the first silicon semiconductor layer through the opening without passing through the second silicon semiconductor layer; thus, light absorption loss in the window layer can be reduced.

A solar cell includes: a semiconductor substrate which includes a first principal surface and a second principal surface; a first semiconductor layer of the first conductivity type disposed above the first principal surface; and a second semiconductor layer of a second conductivity type disposed below the second principal surface. The semiconductor substrate includes: a first impurity region of the first conductivity type; a second impurity region of the first conductivity type disposed between the first impurity region and the first semiconductor layer; and a third impurity region of the first conductivity type disposed between the first impurity region and the second semiconductor layer. A concentration of an impurity in the second impurity region is higher than a concentration of the impurity in the third impurity region, and the concentration of the impurity in the third impurity region is higher than a concentration of the impurity in the first impurity region.

The method for manufacturing a solar cell includes: forming a first semiconductor layer of first conductivity type on a surface of a semiconductor substrate; forming a lift-off layer containing a silicon-based material on the first semiconductor layer; selectively removing the lift-off layer and first semiconductor layer; forming a second semiconductor layer of second conductivity type on a surface having the lift-off layer and first semiconductor layer; and removing the second semiconductor layer covering the lift-off layer by removing the lift-off layer using an etching solution. The linear expansion coefficients of the semiconductor substrate and the lift-off layer satisfy the relational expression: the linear expansion coefficient of the lift-off layer <the linear expansion coefficient of the semiconductor substrate, and the forming of the second semiconductor layer or the removing of the second semiconductor layer is performed at a temperature higher than the temperature in the forming of the lift-off layer.

A photovoltaic cell may include a hydrogenated amorphous silicon layer including a n-type doped region and a p-type doped region. The n-type doped region may be separated from the p-type doped region by an intrinsic region. The photovoltaic cell may include a front transparent electrode connected to the n-type doped region, and a rear electrode connected to the p-type doped region. The efficiency may be optimized for indoor lighting values by tuning the value of the H2/SiH4 ratio of the hydrogenated amorphous silicon layer.