In general, this disclosure is directed to a flexible or stretchable sensor and a method of detecting a substance and/or electromagnetic radiation using said sensor. The sensor comprises a flexible or stretchable substrate, a pair of terminal electrodes disposed on the flexible or stretchable substrate in mutually spaced apart and opposing relation, and a sensing element applied to the flexible or stretchable substrate, between and in electrical contact with the pair of terminal electrodes, wherein the sensing element is responsive to a substance and/or electromagnetic radiation impinging thereon, and wherein when a voltage is applied across the sensor, an electrical signal is generated that is proportional to a resistance value corresponding to a sensing of the substance and/or electromagnetic radiation impinging on the sensing element.

A method of forming a Group II-VI multijunction semiconductor device comprises providing a Group IV substrate, forming a first subcell from a first Group II-VI semiconductor material, forming a second subcell from a second Group II-VI semiconductor material, and removing the substrate. The first subcell is formed over the substrate and has a first bandgap, while the second subcell is formed over the first subcell and has a second bandgap which is smaller than the first bandgap. Additional subcells may be formed over the second subcell with the bandgap of each subcell smaller than that of the preceding subcell and with each subcell preferably separated from the preceding subcell by a tunnel junction. Prior to the removal of the substrate, a support layer is affixed to the last-formed subcell in opposition to the substrate.

A method of forming a Group II-VI multijunction semiconductor device comprises providing a Group IV substrate, forming a first subcell from a first Group II-VI semiconductor material, forming a second subcell from a second Group II-VI semiconductor material, and removing the substrate. The first subcell is formed over the substrate and has a first bandgap, while the second subcell is formed over the first subcell and has a second bandgap which is smaller than the first bandgap. Additional subcells may be formed over the second subcell with the bandgap of each subcell smaller than that of the preceding subcell and with each subcell preferably separated from the preceding subcell by a tunnel junction. Prior to the removal of the substrate, a support layer is affixed to the last-formed subcell in opposition to the substrate.

A photoexcitation material includes: a wurtzite type solid solution crystal containing gallium, zinc, nitrogen and oxygen, wherein a peak (A) of an existence ratio of nitrogen or oxygen which is a first adjacent atom of the gallium or zinc and a peak (B) of an existence ratio of gallium or zinc which is a second adjacent atom of the gallium or zinc satisfy a relational expression of A>B in a relationship between a distance and the existence ratio of the adjacent atom of the gallium or zinc, the relationship being obtained from an extended X-ray absorption fine structure analysis.

A compositional range of fusion-formable, high strain point sodium free, silicate, aluminosilicate and boroaluminosilicate glasses are described herein. The glasses can be used as substrates for photovoltaic devices, for example, thin film photovoltaic devices such as CIGS photovoltaic devices. These glasses can be characterized as having strain points ≧540° C., thermal expansion coefficient of from 6.5 to 10.5 ppm/° C., as well as liquidus viscosities in excess of 50,000 poise. As such they are ideally suited for being formed into sheet by the fusion process.

A compositional range of fusion-formable, high strain point sodium free, silicate, aluminosilicate and boroaluminosilicate glasses are described herein. The glasses can be used as substrates for photovoltaic devices, for example, thin film photovoltaic devices such as CIGS photovoltaic devices. These glasses can be characterized as having strain points ≧540° C., thermal expansion coefficient of from 6.5 to 10.5 ppm/° C., as well as liquidus viscosities in excess of 50,000 poise. As such they are ideally suited for being formed into sheet by the fusion process.

A photodetector having a small form factor and having high detection efficiency with respect to both visible light and infrared rays may include a first electrode, a collector layer on the first electrode, a tunnel barrier layer on the collector layer, a graphene layer on the tunnel barrier layer, an emitter layer on the graphene layer, and a second electrode on the emitter layer. The photodetector may be included in an image sensor. An image sensor may include a substrate, an insulating layer on the substrate, and a plurality of photodetectors on the insulating layer. The photodetectors may be aligned with each other in a direction extending parallel or perpendicular to a top surface of the insulating layer. The photodetector may be included in a LiDAR system.

A structural body that includes a film that has a phase-separated nanostructure where a separate columnar shape phase is dispersed in a matrix phase that are phase-separated in a state of thermal equilibrium. The matrix phase is formed from any one of a p-type semiconductor material and an n-type semiconductor material, and the separate columnar shape phase is formed from the other semiconductor material. The film is formed on a substrate such that the separate columnar shaped phase and the matrix phase have three-dimensional junction planes.

A method of fabricating a buffer layer of a photovoltaic device comprises: providing a substrate having a back contact layer disposed above the substrate and an absorber layer disposed above the back contact layer; depositing a metal layer on the absorber layer; and performing a thermal treatment on the deposited metal layer in an atmosphere comprising sulfur, selenium or oxygen, to form a buffer layer.

The present invention is directed towards a moisture resistant radiation detector core assembly which was constructed by first assembling the photon-electron conversion layer, integrated circuit and the connection elements between and then encapsulating the whole assembly. This provides improved moisture barrier properties, since the encapsulation also covers the connection elements and does not have to be opened to apply the electrical connections, as is done for known radiation detector core assemblies.