A solar cell (1) includes a semiconductor substrate (10) having a light-receiving surface (10a) and a back surface (10b); an n-type semiconductor layer (13n) and a p-type semiconductor layer (12p) provided on the back surface (10b) of the semiconductor substrate (10), the n-type semiconductor layer (13n) and the p-type semiconductor layer (12p) extending in a first direction and being adjacent to each other in a second direction intersecting with the first direction; and a ground layer (14) provided on the n-type semiconductor layer (13n) and the p-type semiconductor layer (12p). The ground layer (14) includes an n-side ground layer (14n) and a p-side ground layer (14p) separated from each other by a first separating groove (17) having a first separating portion (17a) and a second separating portion (17b) as well as a first bridge portion (18) separating the first separating portion (17a) and the second separating portion (17b). The first bridge portion (18) separates the first separating portion (17a) and the second separating portion (17b) at at least one of a border on the n-side ground layer (14n) or a border on the p-side ground layer (14p) in the first direction.

An assembly for optical to electrical power conversion including a photodiode assembly having a substrate layer and an internal side, an antireflective layer, a heterojunction buffer layer adjacent the internal side; an active area positioned adjacent the heterojunction buffer layer, a plurality of n+ electrode regions and p+ electrode regions positioned adjacent the active area, and back-contacts configured to align with the n+ and p+ electrode regions. The active area converts photons from incoming light into liberated electron hole pairs. The heterojunction buffer layer prevents electrons and holes of the liberated electron hole pairs from moving toward the substrate layer. The plurality of electrode regions are configured in an alternating pattern with gaps between each n+ and p+ electrode region. The electrode regions receive and generate electrical current from migration of the electrons and the holes, provide electrical pathways for the electrical current, and provide thermal pathways to dissipate heat.

A photoelectric conversion element includes a semiconductor substrate which has a substrate outer edge including a circular arc, and a first terminal, a second terminal, a third terminal, and a fourth terminal disposed in this order along a circumferential direction of the circular arc on one surface side of the semiconductor substrate, and in which each of a distance from the substrate outer edge to the second terminal and a distance from the substrate outer edge to the fourth terminal is greater than both a distance from the substrate outer edge to the first terminal and a distance from the substrate outer edge to the third terminal.

A backside contact solar cell has, on a first main surface of a crystal silicon substrate, a p-type region having a p-conductive type and an n-type region having an n-conductive type, and a positive electrode formed on the p-type region and a negative electrode formed on the n-type region, wherein the positive electrode includes a laminated conductor of a first electric conductor which is formed on the p-type region and which includes a group III element and a second electric conductor which is laminated on the first electric conductor and which has a lower content ratio of the group III element than the first electric conductor, and the negative electrode includes the second electric conductor formed on the n-type region. In this way, a low-cost backside contact solar cell has a high photoelectric conversion efficiency.

A solar cell including a semiconductor substrate having a first conductivity type an emitter region, having a second conductivity type opposite to the first conductivity type, on a first main surface of the semiconductor substrate an emitter electrode which is in contact with the emitter region a base region having the first conductivity type a base electrode which is in contact with the base region and an insulator film for preventing an electrical short-circuit between the emitter region and the base region, wherein the insulator film is made of a polyimide, and the insulator film has a C.sub.6H.sub.11O.sub.2 detection count number of 100 or less when the insulator film is irradiated with Bi.sub.5.sup.++ ions with an acceleration voltage of 30 kV and an ion current of 0.2 pA by a TOF-SIMS method. There can be provided a solar cell having excellent weather resistance and high photoelectric conversion characteristics.

A transmitter of a wireless power transfer and data communication system comprising a transmitter system including a transmitter housing, one or more high-power laser sources, a laser controller, one or more low-power laser sources, one or more photodiodes, a beam steering system and lens assembly, and a safety system. High-power and low-power beams are directed to corresponding receivers and transceivers of a transceiver system inside a remote receiver system by the controller and the beam steering system and lens assembly. Low-power beams include optical communication to the transceiver system. The photodiodes of the transmitter system receive optical communication from the transceiver system. Low-power beams are co-propagated with and in close proximity to high-power beams substantially along an entire distance between the transmitter housing and the receiver system. The safety system instructs the controller to reduce the high-power sources in response to detected events.

A method of forming a solar cell device that includes forming a porous layer in a monocrystalline donor substrate and forming an epitaxial semiconductor layer on the porous layer. A solar cell structure is formed on the epitaxial semiconductor layer. A carrier substrate is bonded to the solar cell structure through a bonding layer. The monocrystalline donor substrate is removed by cleaving the porous layer. A grid of metal contacts is formed on the epitaxial semiconductor layer. The exposed portions of the epitaxial semiconductor layer are removed. The exposed surface of the solar cell structure is textured. The textured surface may be passivated, in which the passivated surface can provide an anti-reflective coating.

Aligned metallization approaches for fabricating solar cells, and the resulting solar cells, are described. In an example, a solar cell includes a semiconductor layer over a semiconductor substrate. A first plurality of discrete openings is in the semiconductor layer and exposes corresponding discrete portions of the semiconductor substrate. A plurality of doped regions is in the semiconductor substrate and corresponds to the first plurality of discrete openings. An insulating layer is over the semiconductor layer and is in the first plurality of discrete openings. A second plurality of discrete openings is in the insulating layer and exposes corresponding portions of the plurality of doped regions. Each one of the second plurality of discrete openings is entirely within a perimeter of a corresponding one of the first plurality of discrete openings. A plurality of conductive contacts is in the second plurality of discrete openings and is on the plurality of doped regions.

A semiconductor substrate, including a back surface having N-type conductive regions and P-type conductive regions. The N-type conductive regions are provided with first non-pyramidal texture structures, and the P-type conductive regions are provided with second non-pyramidal texture structures. A top surface of the first non-pyramidal texture structure is a polygonal plane, and a top surface of the second non-pyramidal texture structure is a polygonal plane. A one-dimensional size of the top surface of the first non-pyramidal texture structure is less than a one-dimensional size of the top surface of the second non-pyramidal texture structure. The one-dimensional size of the top surface of the first non-pyramidal texture structure is in a range of 5 m to 12 m. The one-dimensional size of the top surface of the second non-pyramidal texture structure is in a range of 10 m to 40 m.

A solar cell includes polysilicon P-type and N-type doped regions on a backside of a substrate, such as a silicon wafer. A trench structure separates the P-type doped region from the N-type doped region. Each of the P-type and N-type doped regions may be formed over a thin dielectric layer. The trench structure may include a textured surface for increased solar radiation collection. Among other advantages, the resulting structure increases efficiency by providing isolation between adjacent P-type and N-type doped regions, thereby preventing recombination in a space charge region where the doped regions would have touched.