A method for manufacturing a solar cell having a P-type silicon substrate wherein one main surface is a light-receiving surface and another is a backside, a plurality of back surface electrodes formed on a part of the backside, an N-type layer in at least a part of the light-receiving surface, and contact areas in which the substrate contacts the electrodes; wherein the P-type silicon substrate is a silicon substrate doped with gallium and has a resistivity of 2.5 .Math.cm or less; and a back surface electrode pitch P.sub.rm [mm] of contact areas in which the P-type silicon substrate is in contact with the back surface electrodes and the resistivity R.sub.sub [.Math.cm] of the substrate satisfy the relation represented by the following formula (1).

log(R.sub.sub)log(P.sub.rm)+1.0 (1)

The invention relates to a method for stabilizing a photovoltaic silicon solar cell, including a regeneration step in which a semiconductor substrate of the solar cell which are heated to at least 50 C. is injected with charge carriers. The invention is characterized in that a degradation step is carried out before the regeneration step, wherein the solar cell is subjected to radiation, in particular laser radiation, having an illumination intensity of at least 5.000 W/m2 and the solar cell is simultaneously cooled. The invention also relates to a device for stabilizing a photovoltaic silicon solar cell.

A device and method of making an amorphous-silicon/inorganic thin film tandem solar cell including the steps of depositing a textured oxide buffer layer on an amorphous substrate, depositing a crystalline inorganic semiconductor film from a eutectic alloy on the buffer layer, and depositing an amorphous film on the crystalline inorganic film, the amorphous film forming a p-n junction with the crystalline inorganic semiconductor for a solar cell device.

A method of manufacturing a solar cell includes forming a photoelectric converter including an amorphous semiconductor layer, forming an electrode connected to the photoelectric converter, and performing a post-treatment by providing light to the photoelectric converter and the electrode, wherein, in the performing of the post-treatment, a plasma lighting system (PLS) is used as a light source, and a processing temperature is within a range from about 100 C. to about 300 C.

Disclosed is a manufacturing method of a solar cell, including forming a photoelectric converter including an amorphous semiconductor layer, forming an electrode connected to the photoelectric converter, and performing a post-treatment by providing light to the photoelectric converter and the electrode.

Methods for forming a photovoltaic device include forming a buffer layer between a transparent electrode and a p-type layer. The buffer layer includes a doped germanium-free silicon base material. The buffer layer has a work function that falls within barrier energies of the transparent electrode and the p-type layer. An intrinsic layer and an n-type layer are formed on the p-type layer. Devices are also provided.