A waveguide assembly integrated with a semiconductor wafer is provided. The waveguide assembly includes a waveguide channel defined by internal walls of the wafer lined with a metallic layer, and having at least one port for transmission of the RF signal into or out of the waveguide channel. The waveguide assembly also includes a semiconductor obstacle member disposed in the waveguide channel. The waveguide assembly may be fabricated using etching and deposition processes for semiconductor devices. In use, selectively varying either one or both of frequency or power level of electromagnetic radiation applied to the obstacle member varies electrical conductance of the obstacle member, and thereby varies the electrical impedance of the obstacle member to transmission of the RF signal through the waveguide channel. The waveguide assembly may be used for switching, attenuating, routing, filtering, and transforming the RF signal.

A solar cell, including: a semiconductor substrate including front and rear surfaces opposite to each other, P-type and N-type conductive regions are arranged in an alternating manner on the rear surface, and gap regions are formed between adjacent P-type and N-type conductive regions, a first notch region is formed by recessing between the P-type conductive region and the gap region, first texture structure is formed within the first notch region, the first direction is parallel to a direction from the gap region to the P-type conductive region, second texture structure is formed within the gap region, and a shape of the second texture structure is different from the first texture structure; a first passivation layer formed over the front surface; and a second passivation layer formed over the rear surface, the second passivation layer covers the first notch regions, the gap regions and the P-type and N-type conductive regions.

Disclosed are a solar cell, a method of making, and a photovoltaic module. The solar cell includes: a substrate, having a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface; multiple first doped portions, on the first surface; multiple second doped portions on the first surface; and multiple isolation trenches, each of which is formed between a respective first doped portion and an adjacent second doped portion. The isolation trenches each have opposing first sidewall and second sidewall that extend along a second direction, and at least one of the first sidewall and the second sidewall has a corrugated structure that undulates while extending along the first direction. The second direction intersects with the first direction. Embodiments of the present disclosure at least contribute to improving the photoelectric conversion efficiency of solar cells.

A hybrid photovoltaic (PV) device includes: a rigid PV segment, having one or more PV cells that convert light to electricity, wherein the rigid PV segment is non-foldable and non-bendable; and a co-located flexible PV segment, wherein the flexible PV segment is foldable or bendable without being damaged; electric connectors, that connect between (i) electric current or voltage generated by the rigid PV segment, and (ii) electric current or voltage generated by the flexible PV segment; a unified encapsulation layer, encapsulating together both the rigid PV segment and the co-located flexible PV segment. The rigid PV segment, the co-located flexible PV segment, the electric connectors, and the unified encapsulation layer, form together the hybrid PV device as a single stand-alone PV device that converts light to electricity, and has at least one rigid region corresponding to the rigid PV segment and at least one flexible region corresponding to the co-located flexible PV segment.

Methods and apparatus for processing a photonic device are provided herein. For example, methods include etching, using a plasma etch process that uses a first gas, a first epitaxial layer of material of the photonic device comprising a base layer comprising at least one of silicon, germanium, sapphire, aluminum indium gallium arsenide (Al.sub.xIn.sub.yGa.sub.1-x-yAs), aluminum indium gallium phosphide (Al.sub.xIn.sub.yGa.sub.1-x-yP), aluminum indium gallium nitride (Al.sub.xIn.sub.yGa.sub.1-x-yN), aluminum indium gallium arsenide phosphide (Al.sub.xIn.sub.yGa.sub.1-x-yAs.sub.zP.sub.1-z), depositing, using a plasma deposition process that uses a second gas different from the first gas, a first dielectric layer over etched sidewalls of the first epitaxial layer of material, etching, using the first gas, a second epitaxial layer of material of the photonic device, and depositing, using the second gas, a second dielectric layer over etched sidewalls of the second epitaxial layer of material.

Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to the photovoltaic field, and provide a solar cell and a photovoltaic module. The solar cell includes a substrate, a tunneling dielectric layer formed on the substrate, a doped conductive layer formed on the tunneling dielectric layer, at least one conductive connection structure, a passivation layer over the doped conductive layer and the at least one conductive connection structure, and a plurality of finger electrodes. The doped conductive layer has a plurality of protrusions arranged along a first direction, and each protrusion extends along a second direction perpendicular to the first direction. The at least one conductive connection structure is formed between two adjacent protrusions and connected with sidewalls of the two adjacent protrusions. Each finger electrode of the plurality of finger electrodes extends along the second direction to penetrate the passivation layer and connect to a respective protrusion.

The present disclosure provides a back contact solar cell and a manufacturing method therefor, and a photovoltaic module, In one example, a back contact solar cell includes a semiconductor substrate, a transparent conductive layer, and an isolating protective structure. The semiconductor substrate includes a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface. The second surface includes N-type regions and P-type regions alternately distributed at intervals, and an isolating region between each of the N-type regions and a corresponding P-type region. The transparent conductive layer covers the second surface. An isolating groove extending through at least the transparent conductive layer is formed on each isolating region The isolating protective structure is formed on a partial region of a groove bottom of the isolating groove. The isolating protective structure includes at least a material of the transparent conductive layer.

A Mie photo sensor is described. A Mie photo sensor is configured to leverage Mie scattering to implement a photo sensor having a resonance. The resonance is based on various physical and material properties of the Mie photo sensor. In an example, a Mie photo sensor includes a layer of semiconductor material with one or more mesas. Each mesa of semiconductor material may include a scattering center. The scattering center is formed by the semiconductor material of the mesa being at least partially surround by a material with a different refractive index than the semiconductor material. The abutting refractive index materials create an interface that forms a scattering center and localizes the generation of free carriers during Mie resonance. One or more electrical contacts may be made to the mesa to measure the electrical properties of the mesa.

Some embodiments relate to an integrated circuit device that includes an optical coupler structure and a photodiode structure over a substrate, where the photodiode structure is laterally adjacent the optical coupler structure. The photodiode structure includes a doped structure including a first semiconductor material, and a light absorption structure includes a second semiconductor material, contacts the doped structure, and is aligned with the optical coupler structure. The light absorption structure includes a first region proximal to the optical coupler structure and having a first width, a second region distal from the optical coupler structure and having a second width greater than the first width, and a tapered region connecting the first region to the second region. The tapered region has a first end adjacent the first region and a second end adjacent the second region. The first end has the first width and the second end has the second width.

The present application provides a solar cell, including: a silicon substrate, and a plurality of fingers formed on a surface of the silicon substrate. The silicon substrate is doped with antimony, and a concentration of antimony in the silicon substrate is a atom/cm.sup.3. The plurality of fingers extend in a first direction, and a density of fingers with the same polarity in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction is n/cm. n and a meet the following relationship: 35k.Math.lg an35Ig a, where k is a constant less than or equal to 2, a ranges from 1E13 to 2E17.