A photodetector with a photonic surface topography is provided. The photodetector includes a semiconductor layer having a top surface, a body having a first type of doping, and a first region having a second type of doping different from the first type. A first fraction of a surface area of the top surface of the semiconductor layer comprises a surface topography. The semiconductor layer further includes a junction formed between the body and the first region, wherein the junction is configured to have respective surface area that is a second fraction of the surface area of the top surface, wherein the second fraction is smaller than the first fraction.

A string of solar cells is disclosed. The sides of the solar cells have a corrugated shape which forms an opening when the solar cells are arranged in a shingled manner. The solar cells are electrically connected in series by a ribbon that passes through the opening. A wire mesh used to decrease solar cell resistance is also disclosed.

Provided is an avalanche photodiode that is excellent in characteristics and reliability. The avalanche photodiode includes a substrate, an n-type contact layer formed above the substrate, and a mesa structure formed above the n-type contact layer. The mesa structure includes a multiplication layer, a light absorption layer, and a p-type contact layer. The multiplication layer is larger than the light absorption layer in plan view, and the light absorption layer is larger than the p-type contact layer in plan view.

A solar cell including: a semiconductor substrate having a first surface and a second surface opposite to each other, and a plurality of side surfaces adjacently connected between the first and the second surfaces; a passivated contact structure, located on a part of the first surface, including an interface passivation layer and a first doped semiconductor layer that are sequentially stacked. In a direction from the first surface to the second surface, respective side surface of the plurality of side surfaces includes a first region and a second region that are sequentially adjacent. The first region protrudes in a direction away from the respective side surface relative to the second region. The first doped semiconductor layer is located on a surface of the first region. The first doped semiconductor layer located in the first region and the first doped semiconductor layer located on the first surface are integrally continuous.

Image sensors and methods of forming the same are provided. An image sensor according to the present disclosure includes a silicon substrate, a germanium region disposed in the silicon substrate, a doped semiconductor isolation layer disposed between the silicon substrate and the germanium region, a heavily p-doped region disposed on the germanium region, a heavily n-doped region disposed on the silicon substrate, a first n-type well disposed immediately below the germanium region, a second n-type well disposed immediately below the heavily n-doped region, and a deep n-type well disposed below and in contact with the first n-type well and the second n-type well.

Disclosed are a solar cell and a solar cell module comprising same, the solar cell comprising: a solar cell structure having one or more hollows passing therethrough in the height direction, and a plurality of light-concentrating parts disposed in each of the one or more hollows.

An optical sensing apparatus is provided. The optical sensing apparatus includes a semiconductor substrate composed of a first material; a transmitter-receiver set supported by the semiconductor substrate and including: (1) a photodetector includes an absorption region composed of a second material including germanium and configured to receive an optical signal and to generate photo-carriers in response to the optical signal; and (2) a light source including a light-emitting region composed of a third material including germanium and configured to emit a light toward a target; wherein the absorption region includes at least a property different from a property of the light-emitting region, wherein the property includes strain, conductivity type, peak doping concentration, or a ratio of the peak doping concentration to a peak doping concentration of the semiconductor substrate; wherein the first material is different from the second material and the third material.

A semiconductor photodetector includes a substrate; a mesa structure on the substrate, the mesa structure being composed of some layers including an upper layer and a lower layer, the upper layer being an absorption layer of light, the lower layer being a wide bandgap layer with a bandgap wide enough not to absorb the light; and an insulating film covering a side of the mesa structure, each of the layers comprising single crystals of III-V semiconductors and having a top of a (100) plane, the top of the wide bandgap layer having a shape including a pair of vertices, in [0-11] and [01-1] directions, on a circumference of a minimum bounding circle.

A photonic device includes a substrate, a P-type doped component disposed over the substrate, an N-type doped component disposed over the substrate, an optical absorption layer disposed over the substrate, and a charging layer disposed over the substrate. The optical absorption layer is disposed between the P-type doped component and the N-type doped component. The optical absorption layer and the substrate have different material compositions. A charging layer is disposed between the P-type doped component and the N-type doped component. The charging layer has a first side surface that is substantially linear. The first side surface is in direct contact with the optical absorption layer.

There is provided a two-terminal device, including a substrate comprising a first cell having a first characteristic resistance, and a second cell, spaced apart from the first cell along the web direction of the substrate, having a second characteristic resistance; a first terminal and a second terminal, each terminal being formed towards or at opposing edges of the substrate across the transverse direction, and each terminal being in electrical communication with the first cell and the second cell; and a connecting portion, between the first cell and the second cell, the connecting portion having a third characteristic resistance; wherein the third characteristic resistance is greater than or equal to at least one of the first characteristic resistance and the second characteristic resistance. There is also provided a method of forming such a two-terminal device).