A superlattice structure for a thin film solar cell includes superimposed layers of nanocrystals and is configured to generate a flow of electrons across the layers when it is irradiated by a solar radiation. Each of the layers includes an array of nanocrystals which have substantially the same size and shape and the nanocrystals of each of the layers have different size and/or different shape with respect to the nanocrystals of the other layers. The layers are sorted in such an order that the superlattice structure is anisotropic. A thin film solar cell having the superlattice structure and a method for making the superlattice structure is related.

The present inventive concept provides a solar cell and a method for manufacturing the solar cell. The solar cell comprises a solar cell layer on a substrate and an encapsulation layer provided on the solar cell layer. The encapsulation layer comprises a metal oxide doped with a dopant material or a metal oxynitride doped with a dopant material; and the metal oxide or the metal oxynitride comprises at least one metal selected from the group consisting of W, Nb, and Sn.

A rollable digital blind comprises: a screen including a flexible display panel which displays an image and comprises a flexible material, and a flexible solar panel which is overlappingly disposed at one surface of the flexible display panel; a cylindrical-shaped roller which is rotated to wind the screen thereon or unwind the screen therefrom; a housing in which the roller is accommodated; a battery which is charged through the flexible solar panel; a drive unit which is supplied with power from the battery to rotate the roller; a composite photosensor which senses sunlight; and a control unit which, if the composite photosensor senses sunlight, controls the drive unit to unwind the screen and charge the battery through the solar panel. The rollable digital blind not only serves as a blind, but can also be used as a display for outputting an image.

A solar cell element includes: a transparent body; a Mg.sub.xAg.sub.1-x layer (0.001x0.045) having a thickness (2-13 nm); a ZnO layer having an arithmetical mean (Ra: 20-870 nm); and a transparent conductive layer. A photoelectric conversion layer including n-type and p-type layers further includes n-side and p-side electrodes. The ZnO layer is composed of ZnO columnar crystal grains grown on the Mg.sub.xAg.sub.1-x layer, and each ZnO grain has a longitudinal direction along a normal line of the body, has a width increasing from the Mg.sub.xAg.sub.1-x layer toward the transparent conductive layer, has a width which appears by cutting each ZnO grain along the normal line, and has a R2/R1 ratio (1.1-1.8). R1 represents the width of one end of the ZnO grain, and the one end is in contact with the surface of the Mg.sub.xAg.sub.1-x layer, and R2 represents the width of the other end of the ZnO grain.

The present invention relates to a substrate for a thin film photovoltaic module, characterized in that it is a cementitious product with average surface roughness Ra not higher than 500 nm. The invention also relates to the cementitious product as such, the thin film photovoltaic module comprising it, and a method of molding both of them.

A method for producing a semiconductor layer sequence is disclosed. In an embodiment the includes growing a first nitridic semiconductor layer at the growth side of a growth substrate, growing a second nitridic semiconductor layer having at least one opening on the first nitridic semiconductor layer, removing at least pail of the first nitridic semiconductor layer through the at least one opening in the second nitridic semiconductor layer, growing a third nitridic semiconductor layer on the second nitridic semiconductor layer, wherein the third nitridic semiconductor layer covers the at least one opening at least in places in such a way that at least one cavity free of a semiconductor material is present between the growth substrate and a subsequent semiconductor layers and removing the growth substrate.

A photovoltaic or light detecting device is provided that includes a periodic array of dome or dome-like protrusions at the light impingement surface and a metal-less reflector/back electrode at the device back. The beneficial interaction between an appropriately designed top protrusion array and metal-less reflector/electrode back contact (R/EBC) serves (1) to refract the incoming light thereby providing photons with an advantageous larger momentum component parallel to the plane of the back (R/EBC) contact and (2) to provide optical impedance matching for the short wavelength incoming light. The metal-less reflector/back electrode operates as a back light reflector and counter electrode to the periodic array of dome or dome-like structures. A substrate supports the metal-less reflector/back electrode.

In one aspect, semiconductor structures are described herein. A semiconductor structure, in some implementations, comprises a first semiconductor layer having a first bandgap and a first lattice constant and a second semiconductor layer having a second bandgap and a second lattice constant. The second lattice constant is lower than the first lattice constant. Additionally, a transparent metamorphic buffer layer is disposed between the first semiconductor layer and the second semiconductor layer. The buffer layer has a constant or substantially constant bandgap and a varying lattice constant. The varying lattice constant is matched to the first lattice constant adjacent the first semiconductor layer and matched to the second lattice constant adjacent the second semiconductor layer. The buffer layer comprises a first portion comprising Al.sub.yGa.sub.zIn.sub.(1-y-z)As and a second portion comprising Ga.sub.xIn.sub.(1-x)P. The first portion is adjacent the first semiconductor layer and the second portion is adjacent the second semiconductor layer.

Proposed is an X-ray detector including a substrate with a defined display area and a non-display area around the display area, a first electrode provided in the display area on the substrate, a photoconductor layer located on the first electrode and provided in the display area and the non-display area, a second electrode provided on the photoconductor layer, and at least one contact pattern provided in the non-display area and configured to surround the display area, wherein the photoconductor layer is in contact with the at least one contact pattern located therebelow.

The present invention provides a coated steel plate suitable for an inline thin-film photovoltaic module, comprising a steel substrate and a composite insulating layer on the surface of the steel substrate. The composite insulating layer comprises an insulating base layer and a laser scribing buffer layer; one side of the insulating base layer is the steel substrate, and the other side is the laser scribing buffer layer. The laser scribing buffer layer contains at least one of the following components: Si.sub.xN.sub.y, where 0.75x:y1; and Si.sub.1-x(R).sub.xO.sub.y, where R is an element selected from Sb, Au, Cu, Sn, and Ag, and 0<x0.05, 1.9y2. Since the silicon nitride and the doped silicon dioxide used in the laser scribing buffer layer can exhibit specific colors, part of the energy of the laser can be absorbed during the laser etching process, and the damage and the loss of insulation of the insulating base layer during etching can be avoided, thereby ensuring that the coated steel plate for inline thin-film photovoltaic modules provided by the present invention has stable working performance. Additionally, the present invention further discloses a method for manufacturing the aforementioned coated steel plate.