The photoelectric conversion layer of an embodiment is based on Cu.sub.2O, contains at least one p-type dopant selected from the group consisting of Ge, Ta, and In, and has a band gap of equal to or more than 2.10 eV and equal to or less than 2.30 eV.

A photovoltaic device includes a substrate, a transparent conductive oxide, an n-type window layer, a p-type absorber layer and an electron reflector layer. The electron reflector layer may include zinc telluride doped with copper telluride, zinc telluride alloyed with copper telluride, or a bilayer of multiple layers containing zinc, copper, cadmium and tellurium in various compositions. A process for manufacturing a photovoltaic device includes forming a layer over a substrate by at least one of sputtering, evaporation deposition, CVD, chemical bath deposition process, and vapor transport deposition process. The process includes forming an electron reflector layer over a p-type absorber layer.

A photovoltaic device includes a substrate, a transparent conductive oxide, an n-type window layer, a p-type absorber layer and an electron reflector layer. The electron reflector layer may include zinc telluride doped with copper telluride, zinc telluride alloyed with copper telluride, or a bilayer of multiple layers containing zinc, copper, cadmium and tellurium in various compositions. A process for manufacturing a photovoltaic device includes forming a layer over a substrate by at least one of sputtering, evaporation deposition, CVD, chemical bath deposition process, and vapor transport deposition process. The process includes forming an electron reflector layer over a p-type absorber layer.

A planar photodiode including a main layer including an n-doped first region, a p-doped second region, and an intermediate region, and also a p-doped peripheral lateral portion. It also includes a peripheral intermediate portion, made of an alternation of monocrystalline thin layers of silicon-germanium and germanium, located on the first face, and extending between and at a non-zero distance from the doped first region and from the peripheral lateral portion so as to surround the doped first region in a main plane.

A planar photodiode including a main layer including an n-doped first region, a p-doped second region, and an intermediate region, and also a p-doped peripheral lateral portion. It also includes a peripheral intermediate portion, made of an alternation of monocrystalline thin layers of silicon-germanium and germanium, located on the first face, and extending between and at a non-zero distance from the doped first region and from the peripheral lateral portion so as to surround the doped first region in a main plane.

A photovoltaic device with increased efficiency and a method for making the same. The present invention provides a photovoltaic device including: a transparent substrate; a transparent conductive electrode layer disposed on the transparent substrate; an n-type layer disposed on the transparent conductive electrode layer; a chalcogen absorber layer disposed on the n-type layer; a p-type molybdenum trioxide (MoO3) interlayer disposed on the chalcogen absorber layer; and a conductive layer disposed on the interlayer. A photovoltaic device having a superstrate configuration with the order of the layers reversed is also provided. The present invention further provides methods for making the photovoltaic devices according to the present invention.

A method (200) and deposition zone apparatus (300) for fabricating thin-film optoelectronic devices (100), the method comprising: providing a potassium-nondiffusing substrate (110), forming a back-contact layer (120); forming at least one absorber layer (130) made of an ABC chalcogenide material, adding at least two different alkali metals, and forming at least one front-contact layer (150) wherein one of said at least two different alkali metals is potassium and where, following forming said front-contact layer, in the interval of layers (470) from back-contact layer (120), exclusive, to front-contact layer (150), inclusive, the comprised amounts resulting from adding at least two different alkali metals are, for potassium, in the range of 500 to 10000 ppm and, for the other of said at least two different alkali metals, in the range of 5 to 2000 ppm and at most ½ and at least 1/2000 of the comprised amount of potassium. The method (200) and apparatus (300) are advantageous for more environmentally-friendly production of photovoltaic devices (100) on flexible substrates with high photovoltaic conversion efficiency and faster production rate.

Manufacture of multi-junction solar cells, and devices thereof, are disclosed. The architectures are also adapted to provide for a more uniform and consistent fabrication of the solar cell structures, leading to improved yields, greater efficiency, and lower costs. Certain solar cells may be from a different manufacturing process and further include one or more compositional gradients of one or more semiconductor elements in one or more semiconductor layers, resulting in a more optimal solar cell device.

Manufacture of multi-junction solar cells, and devices thereof, are disclosed. The architectures are also adapted to provide for a more uniform and consistent fabrication of the solar cell structures, leading to improved yields, greater efficiency, and lower costs. Certain solar cells may be from a different manufacturing process and further include one or more compositional gradients of one or more semiconductor elements in one or more semiconductor layers, resulting in a more optimal solar cell device.

Examples described herein relate to an avalanche photodiode (APD) and an optical receiver including the APD. The APD may include a substrate and a photon absorption region disposed on the substrate. The substrate may include a charge carrier acceleration region under the photon absorption region; a charge region adjacent to the charge carrier acceleration region; and a charge carrier multiplication region adjacent to the charge region. The charge carrier acceleration region, the charge region, and the charge carrier multiplication region are laterally formed in the substrate. When a biasing voltage is applied to the optoelectronic device, photon-generated free charge carriers may be generated in the photon absorption region and are diffused into the charge carrier acceleration region. The charge carrier acceleration region is configured to accelerate the photon-generated free charge carriers prior to the photon-generated free charge carriers entering into the charge region and undergoing impact ionization in the charge carrier multiplication region.