A composite material is described. The composite material comprises semiconductor nanocrystals, and organic molecules that passivate the surfaces of the semiconductor nanocrystals. One or more properties of the organic molecules facilitate the transfer of charge between the semiconductor nanocrystals. A semiconductor material is described that comprises p-type semiconductor material including semiconductor nanocrystals. At least one property of the semiconductor material results in a mobility of electrons in the semiconductor material being greater than or equal to a mobility of holes. A semiconductor material is described that comprises n-type semiconductor material including semiconductor nanocrystals. At least one property of the semiconductor material results in a mobility of holes in the semiconductor material being greater than or equal to a mobility of electrons.

A layer of an n-type chalcogenide compositions provided on a substrate in the presence of an oxidizing gas in an amount sufficient to provide a resistivity to the layer that is less than the resistivity a layer deposited under identical conditions but in the substantial absence of oxygen.

A solar cell according to an embodiment includes a substrate; a barrier layer of a nano rod structure on the substrate; a back electrode layer disposed on the barrier layer; a light absorbing layer disposed on the back electrode layer; a buffer layer disposed on the light absorbing layer, and a window layer disposed on the buffer layer.

A flexible solar array for extraterrestrial deployment and a method of manufacturing such a flexible solar array are disclosed. A power generating layer, a durable layer, and an ultraviolet radiation blocking layer are disposed such that durable layer is between the power generating layer and the ultraviolet radiation blocking layer.

A solar module, particularly a thin-layer solar module, is described. The solar module has a laminated complex with two substrates between which there is a layer structure which has a front electrode layer, a back electrode layer and an intermediate semiconductor layer for forming a plurality of solar cells connected up in series, two contact elements at least one top element two contact pieces, and at least one connection socket. A method for producing the solar module is also described.

Designs of extremely high efficiency solar cells are described. A novel alternating bias scheme enhances the photovoltaic power extraction capability above the cell band-gap by enabling the extraction of hot carriers. When applied in conventional solar cells, this alternating bias scheme has the potential of more than doubling their yielded net efficiency. When applied in conjunction with solar cells incorporating quantum wells (QWs) or quantum dots (QDs) based solar cells, the described alternating bias scheme has the potential of extending such solar cell power extraction coverage, possibly across the entire solar spectrum, thus enabling unprecedented solar power extraction efficiency. Within such cells, a novel alternating bias scheme extends the cell energy conversion capability above the cell material band-gap while the quantum confinement structures are used to extend the cell energy conversion capability below the cell band-gap. Light confinement cavities are incorporated into the cell structure in order to allow the absorption of the cell internal photo emission, thus further enhancing the cell efficiency.

Methods and semiconductor materials produced by such methods that are suitable for use in photovoltaic cells, solar cells fabricated with such methods, and solar panels composed thereof. Such methods include a wet-chemical synthesis method capable of producing a Group I-III-VI.sub.2 semiconductor material by forming a solution containing an organic solvent, at least one Group I precursor of at least one Group I element, and at least one Group III precursor of at least one Group III element. The Group I precursor is present in the solution in an amount of less than 120% of a stoichiometric ratio of the Group I element in the Group I-III-VI.sub.2 semiconductor material, and the Group III precursor is present in the solution in an amount of greater than 55% of a stoichiometric ratio of the Group III element in the Group I-III-VI.sub.2 semiconductor material.

A solar cell of an embodiment has a first solar cell, a second solar cell, and an intermediate layer between the first and second solar cells. The first solar cell has a Si layer as a light absorbing layer. The second solar cell has as a light absorbing layer one of a group I-III-VI.sub.2 compound layer and a group I.sub.2-II-IV-VI.sub.4 compound layer. The intermediate layer has an n.sup.+-type Si sublayer and at least one selected from a p.sup.+-type Si sublayer, a metal compound sublayer, and a graphene sublayer. The metal compound sublayer is represented by MX where M denotes at least one type of element selected from Nb, Mo, Pd, Ta, W, and Pt and X denotes at least one type of element selected from S, Se, and Te.

A method of fabricating a color tunable thin film photovoltaic device includes depositing a layer of a semiconducting compound configured to exhibit a photovoltaic effect, and depositing a buffer layer over the layer of the semiconducting compound. Depositing transparent conducting oxides (TCO) over the buffer layer is followed by selecting two or more layers of optically transparent materials such that constructive interference among wavelengths reflected by the buffer layer, the TCO, and the two or more layers results in a desired exhibited color and depositing the two or more layers of the optically transparent materials above the TCO.

A multilayer structure including a substrate and a first stack of a layer of SiO.sub.2 and a layer of material of the SiO.sub.xN.sub.yH.sub.z type positioned between the substrate and the layer of SiO.sub.2, in which the layer of SiO.sub.2 and the layer of material of the SiO.sub.xN.sub.yH.sub.z type have thicknesses (e.sub.B, e.sub.A) such that the thickness of the layer of SiO.sub.2 is less than or equal to 60 nm, the thickness of the layer of material of the SiO.sub.xN.sub.yH.sub.z type (e.sub.B) is more than twice the thickness (e.sub.A) of the layer of SiO.sub.2, and the sum of the thicknesses of the layer of SiO.sub.2 and of the layer of material of the SiO.sub.xN.sub.yH.sub.z type is between 100 nm and 500 nm, and in which z is strictly less than the ratio (x+y)/5, and advantageously z is strictly less than the ratio (x+y)/10.