The present invention relates to an electrode having a multilayer nanomesh structure using single-crystalline copper and a method for manufacturing same, the electrode comprising: a substrate; a single-crystalline copper electrode layer formed on the substrate and having a hive-shaped pattern with a nano-sized line width; and a metal oxide layer formed on the single-crystalline copper electrode layer, this providing an electrode having excellent optical transmittance, low electrical sheet resistance, and excellent mechanical stability. The present invention is technically characterized by an electrode having a multilayer nanomesh structure using single-crystalline copper, the electrode comprising: a substrate; a single-crystalline copper electrode layer formed on the substrate and having a hive-shaped pattern with a nano-sized line width; and a metal oxide layer formed on the single-crystalline copper electrode layer.

Provided are a transparent solar cell and a rear-reflective transparent solar cell module having the same. The transparent solar cell includes a transparent substrate, a first transparent electrode on the transparent substrate, a light absorption layer on the first transparent electrode, a re-absorption enhancing layer on the light absorption layer, and a second transparent electrode on the re-absorption enhancing layer.

This invention relates to cells and devices for harvesting light. Specifically the cell comprises at least one electrode which comprises graphene or modified graphene and layer of a transition metal dichalcogenide in a vertical heterostructure. The cell may be part of a light harvesting device. The invention also relates to materials and methods for making such cells and devices.

Disclosed herein are a solar cell and a method of manufacturing the same. The solar cell module includes a semiconductor substrate, a first passivation film located on a front surface of the semiconductor substrate, a second passivation film located on a rear surface of the semiconductor substrate, a front electric field region located on the first passivation film on the front surface of the semiconductor substrate and being of a same conductivity-type as that of the semiconductor substrate, an emitter region located on the second passivation film on the rear surface of the semiconductor substrate and being of a conductivity-type opposite that of the semiconductor substrate, first electrodes conductively connected to the front electric field region, and second electrode conductively connected to the emitter region.

A method of forming a CIGS absorber wherein at least one source particle is selected and prepared as a powder or gel; the powder or gel is deposited on a substrate, compressed, and annealed. In some embodiments, a plurality of source particles are prepared as powders and mixed prior to deposition, compression, and annealing. In other embodiments, a plurality of source particles are individually deposited in layers, collectively compressed, and collectively annealed. In yet further embodiments, a plurality of source particles are individually deposited in layers, individually compressed, and collectively annealed.

Disclosed herein are nanostructured conducting films. The nanostructured conducting films can comprise a nanocrystal phase comprising a plurality of nanocrystals comprising a first metal chalcogenide, the nanocrystal phase being dispersed within a continuous phase comprising a second metal chalcogenide, and wherein the nanocrystal phase, the continuous phase, or a combination thereof further comprises a dopant. In some examples, the first metal chalcogenide and/or the second metal chalcogenide comprise a metal oxide. Also disclosed herein are transparent conducting oxide films having heterogeneous dopant distributions, the films having high mobility, good conductivity, or combinations thereof. Also described herein are methods of making and methods of use of the nanostructured conducing films described herein.

A solid-state imaging device includes a substrate and a photoelectric conversion region. The substrate has a charge accumulation region. The photoelectric conversion region is provided on the substrate. The photoelectric conversion region is configured to generate signal charges to be accumulated in the charge accumulation region. The photoelectric conversion region comprises a material that is not transparent.

A solar cell of the present invention includes a collecting electrode on one main surface of a photoelectric conversion section. The collecting electrode includes first and second electroconductive layers in this order from the photoelectric conversion section side, and an insulating layer between the first and second electroconductive layers, the insulating layer having an opening section formed therein. The first electroconductive layer is covered with the insulating layer, contains a low-melting-point material, and is conductively connected with a part of the second electroconductive layer via the opening section. The surface roughness of the second electroconductive layer is preferably 1.0 m to 10.0 m. The second electroconductive layer is preferably formed by a plating method. In order to conductively connect the first and second electroconductive layers, annealing of the first electroconductive layer by heating is preferably performed prior to forming the second electroconductive layer.

Methods for fabricating busbar and finger metallization over TCO are disclosed. Rather than using expensive and relatively resistive silver paste, a high conductivity and relatively low cost copper is used. Methods for enabling the use of copper as busbar and fingers over a TCO are disclosed, providing good adhesion while preventing migration of the copper into the TCO. Also, provisions are made for easy soldering contacts to the copper busbars.

A solar cell includes a front side for light incidence, an opposite back side, a crystalline semiconductor substrate of a first or second conductivity type, a front side passivating region with a passivating layer and a conductive layer of the first type, a back side passivating region with a passivating layer and a conductive layer of the second type, a front side contact with one front side conductive material and front side electrical contacts on the front side conductive material, a front side light coupling layer on the front side, a back side contact opposite the front side contact and formed by back side conductive material and a back side electrical contact thereon. The front side has lower light absorption and better antireflective property. The front side conductive material is thinner in regions between and/or besides front side electrical contacts than in regions below front side electrical contacts.