A photovoltaic device and method include forming a plurality of pillar structures in a substrate, forming a first electrode layer on the pillar structures and forming a continuous photovoltaic stack including an N-type layer, a P-type layer and an intrinsic layer on the first electrode. A second electrode layer is deposited over the photovoltaic stack such that gaps or fissures occur in the second electrode layer between the pillar structures. The second electrode layer is wet etched to open up the gaps or fissures and reduce the second electrode layer to form a three-dimensional electrode of substantially uniform thickness over the photovoltaic stack.

A semiconductor structure includes a silicon substrate, a protection layer, an electrical pad, an isolation layer, a redistribution layer, a conductive layer, a passivation layer, and a conductive structure. The silicon substrate has a concave region, a step structure, a tooth structure, a first surface, and a second surface opposite to the first surface. The step structure and the tooth structure surround the concave region. The step structure has a first oblique surface, a third surface, and a second oblique surface facing the concave region and connected in sequence. The protection layer is located on the first surface of the silicon substrate. The electrical pad is located in the protection layer and exposed through the concave region. The isolation layer is located on the first and second oblique surfaces, the second and third surfaces of the step structure, and the tooth structure.

An improved method of doping a workpiece is disclosed. The method is particularly beneficial to the creation of interdigitated back contact (IBC) solar cells. A patterned implant is performed on one surface of the workpiece. A self-aligned masking process is then performed, which is achieved by exploiting the changes in surface properties caused by the patterned implant. The masking process includes applying a coating that preferentially adheres to the previously implanted regions. A blanket implant is then performed, which serves to implant the portions of the workpiece that are not covered by the coating. Thus, the blanket implant is actually a complementary implant, doping the regions that were not implanted by the first patterned implant. The coating is then optionally removed from the workpiece.

This disclosure enables high-productivity fabrication of porous semiconductor layers (made of single layer or multi-layer porous semiconductors such as porous silicon, comprising single porosity or multi-porosity layers). Some applications include fabrication of MEMS separation and sacrificial layers for die detachment and MEMS device fabrication, membrane formation and shallow trench isolation (STI) porous silicon (using porous silicon formation with an optimal porosity and its subsequent oxidation). Further, this disclosure is applicable to the general fields of photovoltaics, MEMS, including sensors and actuators, stand-alone, or integrated with integrated semiconductor microelectronics, semiconductor microelectronics chips and optoelectronics.

The invention provides methods and devices for fabricating printable semiconductor elements and assembling printable semiconductor elements onto substrate surfaces. Methods, devices and device components of the present invention are capable of generating a wide range of flexible electronic and optoelectronic devices and arrays of devices on substrates comprising polymeric materials. The present invention also provides stretchable semiconductor structures and stretchable electronic devices capable of good performance in stretched configurations.

A method of preparing two dimension bent X-ray crystal analyzers in strips feature is provided. A crystal wafer in strips is bonded to a curved substrate which offers the desired focus length. A crystal wafer in strips is pressed against the surface of the substrate forming curved shape by anodic bonding or glue bonding. The bonding is permanently formed between crystal wafer and its substrate surface, which makes crystal wafer has same curvature as previously prepared substrate.

A solar cell includes a photoelectric conversion layer; and a front electrode on the photoelectric conversion layer, wherein the front electrode includes a plurality of first finger electrodes; a plurality of second finger electrodes; a bus electrode directly connected to at least one of the plurality of first finger electrodes; a plurality of connecting electrodes connected to the plurality of second finger electrodes, the plurality of connecting electrodes forming at least one space therebetween; and an auxiliary electrode formed at the at least one space, wherein the auxiliary electrode connects at least two connecting electrodes of the plurality of connecting electrodes.

A lateral Ge/Si APD constructed on a silicon-on-insulator wafer includes a silicon device layer having regions that are doped to provide a lateral electric field and an avalanche region. A region having a modest doping level is in contact with a germanium body. There are no metal contacts made to the germanium body. The electrical contacts to the germanium body are made by way of the doped regions in the silicon device layer.

Disclosed are a photoelectronic device using a hybrid structure of silica nanoparticles and graphene quantum dots and a method of manufacturing the same. The photoelectronic device according to the present disclosure has a hybrid structure including graphene quantum dots (GQDs) bonded to surfaces of silica nanoparticles (SNPs), thereby increasing energy transfer efficiency.

Intercalation pastes for use with semiconductor devices are disclosed. The pastes contain precious metal particles, intercalating particles, and an organic vehicle and can be used to improve the material properties of metal particle layers. Specific formulations have been developed to be screen-printed directly onto a dried metal particle layer and fired to make a fired multilayer stack. The fired multilayer stack can be tailored to create a solderable surface, high mechanical strength, and low contact resistance. In some embodiments, the fired multilayer stack can etch through a dielectric layer to improve adhesion to a substrate. Such pastes can be used to increase the efficiency of silicon solar cells, specifically multi- and mono-crystalline silicon back-surface field (BSF), and passivated emitter and rear contact (PERC) photovoltaic cells. Other applications include integrated circuits and more broadly, electronic devices.