The porous silicon nanowire photovoltaic cell includes a first electrode, a p-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 p-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 p-type silicon layer. Any suitable type of up-conversion material may be used for the up-conversion layer, such as NaYF.sub.4:ErYb or the like. Alternatively, the up-conversion layer may be replaced by a down-conversion layer.

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.

A photovoltaic-thermoelectric hybrid device is disclosed, which comprises a bi-layer silicon substrate, an electrode unit having a first electrode and a second electrode disposed on and connected to the bi-layer silicon substrate, and an external circuit connecting to the electrode unit, in which an electric current is set up between the first electrode and the second electrode and flows through the bi-layer silicon substrate as the first electrode is either heated or illuminated more than the second electrode.

A photovoltaic structure includes a power generating unit and a conducting unit. The power generating unit includes a P-type semiconducting layer and an N-type semiconducting layer adjoined to the P-type semiconducting layer. The N-type semiconducting layer includes a plurality of N-type materials and a conductive material surrounding the plurality of N-type materials. The conducting unit includes a bottom layer adjoined to P-type semiconducting layer and a top layer adjoined to N-type semiconducting layer.

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.

A solar cell hollow circuit is provided. The solar cell hollow circuit includes a substrate, a first conductive layer, a photoelectric conversion layer and a second conductive layer. The first conductive layer is formed on the substrate. The photoelectric conversion layer is formed on the first conductive layer. The second conductive layer is formed on the photoelectric conversion layer. A hollow surround area is formed on the substrate by the first conductive layer, the photoelectric conversion layer and the second conductive layer. The hollow surround area defines an opening and a positive contact or a negative contact corresponding to the opening.

Techniques for enhancing the absorption of photons in semiconductors with the use of microstructures are described. The microstructures, such as pillars and/or holes, effectively increase the effective absorption length resulting in a greater absorption of the photons. Using microstructures for absorption enhancement for silicon photodiodes and silicon avalanche photodiodes can result in bandwidths in excess of 10 Gb/s at photons with wavelengths of 850 nm, and with quantum efficiencies of approximately 90% or more.