An image sensor with high quantum efficiency is provided. In some embodiments, a semiconductor substrate includes a non-porous semiconductor layer along a front side of the semiconductor substrate. A periodic structure is along a back side of the semiconductor substrate. A high absorption layer lines the periodic structure on the back side of the semiconductor substrate. The high absorption layer is a semiconductor material with an energy bandgap less than that of the non-porous semiconductor layer. A photodetector is in the semiconductor substrate and the high absorption layer. A method for manufacturing the image sensor is also provided.

A method for producing a textured structure of a crystalline silicon solar cell is provided, including the following steps: (1) forming a porous layer structure on a surface of a silicon wafer; (2) then cleaning with a first alkaline chemical solution; (3) removing residual metal particles with a cleaning solution; (4) and then etching the surface with a first chemical etching solution to obtain the textured structure of the crystalline silicon solar cell. The method greatly prolongs the lifetime of the mixed solution of hydrofluoric acid and nitric acid and ensures the stability and uniformity of the textured structure.

The porous silicon nanowire photovoltaic cell includes a first electrode, an n-type silicon layer, and a second electrode, which is formed from a transparent electrode with at least one metal contact. An array of porous silicon nanowires is sandwiched between the second electrode and the n-type silicon layer. Each of the porous silicon nanowires is formed from a porous n-type silicon core coated with a layer of p-type silicon. Empty spaces between the porous silicon nanowires of the array may be filled with indium tin oxide, thus forming a photoactive region formed from the array of porous silicon nanowires embedded in indium tin oxide. An up-conversion layer is sandwiched between the first electrode and the n-type silicon layer. Any suitable type of up-conversion material may be used for the up-conversion layer, such as NaYR.sub.4:ErYb or the like. Alternatively, the up-conversion layer may be replaced by a down-conversion layer.

A photo-detecting apparatus includes a semiconductor substrate. A first germanium-based light absorption material is supported by the semiconductor substrate and configured to absorb a first optical signal having a first wavelength greater than 800 nm. A first metal line is electrically coupled to a first region of the first germanium-based light absorption material. A second metal line is electrically coupled to a second region of the first germanium-based light absorption material. The first region is un-doped or doped with a first type of dopants. The second region is doped with a second type of dopants. The first metal line is configured to control an amount of a first type of photo-generated carriers generated inside the first germanium-based light absorption material to be collected by the second region.

A photoelectric semiconductor nanowire device and a method for manufacturing the same. The photoelectric semiconductor nanowire device includes a semiconductor nanowire doped with a dopant of a first conductivity type and including crystal semiconductor segments which include at least one porous semiconductor segment and are connected to opposite ends of the porous semiconductor segment. A first electrode and a second electrode respectively are disposed in the crystal semiconductor segments around the porous semiconductor segment to provide an electrical connection. The crystal semiconductor segment includes a crystal semiconductor, and the porous semiconductor segment includes a porous semiconductor. The semiconductor nanowire provides a current according to the intensity of an external light when the external light is irradiated to the porous semiconductor segment.

Voltage breakdown devices for solar cells are described. For example, a solar cell includes a semiconductor substrate. A plurality of alternating N-type and P-type semiconductor regions is disposed in or above the substrate. A plurality of conductive contacts is coupled to the plurality of alternating N-type and P-type semiconductor regions. A voltage breakdown device is disposed above the substrate. The voltage breakdown device includes one of the plurality of conductive contacts in electrical contact with one of the N-type semiconductor regions and with one of the P-type semiconductor regions of the plurality of alternating N-type and P-type semiconductor regions disposed in or above the substrate.

The disclosure relates to the technical field of solar cells, and provides a solar cell and a doped region structure thereof, a cell assembly, and a photovoltaic system. The doped region structure includes a first doped layer, a passivation layer, and a second doped layer that are disposed on a silicon substrate in sequence. The passivation layer is a porous structure having the first doped layer and/or the second doped layer inlaid in a hole region. The first doped layer and the second doped layer have a same doping polarity. By means of the doped region structure of the solar cell provided in the disclosure, the difficulty in production and the limitation on conversion efficiency as a result of precise requirements for the accuracy of a thickness of a conventional tunneling layer are resolved.

A photoelectric semiconductor nanowire device and a method for manufacturing the same. The photoelectric semiconductor nanowire device includes a semiconductor nanowire doped with a dopant of a first conductivity type and including crystal semiconductor segments which include at least one porous semiconductor segment and are connected to opposite ends of the porous semiconductor segment. A first electrode and a second electrode respectively are disposed in the crystal semiconductor segments around the porous semiconductor segment to provide an electrical connection. The crystal semiconductor segment includes a crystal semiconductor, and the porous semiconductor segment includes a porous semiconductor. The semiconductor nanowire provides a current according to the intensity of an external light when the external light is irradiated to the porous semiconductor segment.

Frontside metallization pastes for solar cell electrodes contain siloxanes. Metallization pastes containing siloxanes can be used to fabricate fine line, high aspect ratio, solar cell gridlines.

Provided is a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device having a photodiode that has a shallow p-n junction and thus achieves high sensitivity to an ultraviolet ray, in which an oxide containing impurities at high concentration is deposited on the surface of the silicon substrate, and thereafter a diffusion region is formed to have a shallow junction by performing thermal diffusion of a rapid temperature change, with the use of a high-speed temperature rising and falling apparatus without using ion implantation into the silicon substrate.