A photovoltaic device and method include a doped germanium-containing substrate, an emitter contact coupled to the substrate on a first side and a back contact coupled to the substrate on a side opposite the first side. The emitter includes at least one doped layer of an opposite conductivity type as that of the substrate and the back contact includes at least one doped layer of the same conductivity type as that of the substrate. The at least one doped layer of the emitter contact or the at least one doped layer of the back contact is in direct contact with the substrate, and the at least one doped layer of the emitter contact or the back contact includes an n-type material having an electron affinity smaller than that of the substrate, or a p-type material having a hole affinity larger than that of the substrate.

The precursor comprises at least one layer of doped crystalline silicon and a layer of doped amorphous semiconductor material. The method comprises the steps of placing the cell precursor sandwiched between a grounded conducting plate and a plate made of insulating material coated with a conducting layer, then applying a state change electrical voltage (U1) between the conducting layer and ground, the said state change electrical voltage (U1) being designed to bring the Fermi level at the interface between crystalline silicon and amorphous semiconductor material closer to the middle of the band gap of the said amorphous semiconductor material, while at the same time heating the cell precursor to a defect equilibration temperature (T.sub.E), and finally cooling down the cell precursor (10) prior to interrupting the application of the state change electrical voltage (U1).

A solar cell includes: a semiconductor substrate having a light receiving surface and a back surface; a first semiconductor layer of the first conductivity type on the back surface; a second semiconductor layer of the second conductivity type on the back surface; a first electrode electrically connected to the first semiconductor layer; and an insulating layer for electrically insulating the first semiconductor layer and the second semiconductor layer from each other in a region in which an edge of the first semiconductor layer and an edge of second semiconductor layer overlap. The first electrode includes a first transparent electrode layer and a first collection electrode layer on the first transparent electrode layer. The first transparent electrode layer is separated into a primary electrode layer that is on the first semiconductor layer and a separated electrode layer that is on the second semiconductor layer in the region.

A solar cell module includes an encapsulating member and a sealing layer for sealing a solar cell, and further includes a solar cell having a transparent conductive layer on its front surface. The solar cell includes a coating layer formed over the transparent conductive layer and having a plurality of openings, and a collecting electrode positioned in the openings of the coating layer and including a primary conductive layer containing copper. An undercoat layer is provided between the primary conductive layer of the collecting electrode and the transparent conductive layer. The coating layer and the undercoat layer are both composed of a resin.

Provided is a photoelectric conversion device capable of suppressing diffusion of a dopant in a p layer or n layer into an adjacent layer. A photoelectric conversion device is provided with a silicon substrate, a substantially intrinsic amorphous layer formed on one surface of the silicon substrate, and a first conductive amorphous layer that is formed on the intrinsic amorphous layer. The first conductive amorphous layer includes a first concentration layer and a second concentration layer that is stacked on the first concentration layer. The dopant concentration of the second concentration layer is 810.sup.17 cm.sup.3 or more, and is lower than the dopant concentration of the first concentration layer.

Disclosed is a solar cell including a semiconductor substrate, a conductive area including first and second conductive areas disposed on one surface of the semiconductor substrate, and an electrode including a first electrode connected to the first conductive area and a second electrode connected to the second conductive area. The electrode includes an adhesive layer disposed on the semiconductor substrate or the conductive area, an electrode layer disposed on the adhesive layer and including a metal as a main component, and a barrier layer disposed on the electrode layer and including a metal that is different from the metal of the electrode layer as a main component. The electrode layer has a thickness greater than a thickness of each of the adhesive layer and the barrier layer, and the barrier layer has a higher melting point than a melting point of the electrode layer.

A solar cell and a method for manufacturing the solar cell are discussed. The method for manufacturing the solar cell includes applying an electrode paste on a semiconductor substrate and sintering the electrode paste using a light sintering device to form an electrode. The electrode paste includes fine metal particles, a binder, and a solvent. An amount of the fine metal particles is greater than a sum of an amount of the binder and an amount of the solvent, and the amount of the binder is greater than the amount of the solvent.

A solar cell including at least a first layer made of a semiconductor material for absorbing photons from light radiation and releasing charge carriers, and at least one conductive layer, overlapping the first layer, adapted to allow the light radiation to enter into the solar cell towards the first layer and to collect the charge carriers released by the first layer, the solar cell where the conductive layer includes at least three overlapped layers, including a transparent intermediate metal layer, made of metal, and two transparent oxide layers, made of a conductive oxide, where the two oxide layers are an inner oxide layer and an outer oxide layer surrounding the transparent intermediate metal layer to provide a low resistance path for the electrical charges and to maximize the amount of light radiation entering the solar cell. The embodiments also include a solar cells module including said solar cell.

A solar cell including at least a first layer made of a semiconductor material for absorbing photons from light radiation and releasing charge carriers, and at least one conductive layer, overlapping the first layer, adapted to allow the light radiation to enter into the solar cell towards the first layer and to collect the charge carriers released by the first layer, the solar cell where the conductive layer includes at least three overlapped layers, including a transparent intermediate metal layer, made of metal, and two transparent oxide layers, made of a conductive oxide, where the two oxide layers are an inner oxide layer and an outer oxide layer surrounding the transparent intermediate metal layer to provide a low resistance path for the electrical charges and to maximize the amount of light radiation entering the solar cell. The embodiments also include a solar cells module including said solar cell.

A solar cell of the invention includes a collecting electrode on a first principal surface of a photoelectric conversion section. The collecting electrode includes a first electroconductive layer and a second electroconductive layer in this order from the photoelectric conversion section. On the first principal surface of the photoelectric conversion section, an insulating layer is provided in a first electroconductive layer-non-formed region where the first electroconductive layer is not formed. The insulating layer includes a first insulating layer is in contact with the first electroconductive layer on the first principal surface of the photoelectric conversion section, and a second insulating layer that is formed so as to cover at least a part of the first insulating layer.