Disclosed is a semiconductor structure with a photodiode including: a well region with a first-type conductivity in a substrate, a trench in the well region, and multiple conformal semiconductor layers in the trench. The semiconductor layers include a first semiconductor layer, which is, for example, an intrinsic semiconductor layer and lines the trench, and a second semiconductor layer, which has a second-type conductivity and which is on the first semiconductor layer within (but not filling) the trench and which also extends outside the trench onto a dielectric layer. An additional dielectric layer extends over and caps a cavity that is at least partially within the trench such that surfaces of the second semiconductor layer are exposed within the cavity. Fluid inlet/outlet ports extend to the cavity and contacts extend to the well region and to the second semiconductor layer. Also disclosed are methods for forming and using the semiconductor structure.

A semiconductor photodetector element includes a semiconductor substrate having a first conductivity type; a columnar structure formed on a first surface of the semiconductor substrate, the columnar structure being composed of a semiconductor of the first conductivity type; a light absorption layer formed so as to surround the columnar structure; and a semiconductor layer formed so as to surround the light absorption layer.

Embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to infrared detector devices incorporating a tunneling structure. In one embodiment, an infrared detector device includes a first contact layer, an absorber layer adjacent to the first contact layer, and a tunneling structure including a barrier layer adjacent to the absorber layer and a second contact layer adjacent to the barrier layer. The barrier layer has a tailored valence band offset such that a valence band offset of the barrier layer at the interface between the absorber layer and the barrier layer is substantially aligned with the valence band offset of the absorber layer, and the valence band offset of the barrier layer at the interface between the barrier layer and the second contact layer is above a conduction band offset of the second contact layer.

In accordance with an embodiment, a diode comprises a substrate, a dielectric material including an opening that exposes a portion of the substrate, the opening having an aspect ratio of at least 1, a bottom diode material including a lower region disposed at least partly in the opening and an upper region extending above the opening, the bottom diode material comprising a semiconductor material that is lattice mismatched to the substrate, a top diode material proximate the upper region of the bottom diode material, and an active diode region between the top and bottom diode materials, the active diode region including a surface extending away from the top surface of the substrate.

A coherent optical receiver that receives an optical PSK-modulated signal includes optical elements that combine the optical PSK-modulated signal and an optical local-oscillating (LO) signal and splits the combined optical signals into multiple parts that have a predefined phase offset relative to one another. The receiver further includes at least one thyristor and control circuitry operably coupled to terminals of the at least one thyristor. The control circuitry is configured to receive the multiple parts of the combined optical signals and controls switching operation of the at least one thyristor according to phase offset of optical PSK-modulated signal relative to the optical LO signal.

Embodiments of the disclosure relate to a solar cell and a photovoltaic module, where the solar cell includes a bottom cell, a recombination layer, and a top cell which are stacked in sequence in a first direction. The bottom cell includes a first semiconductor conductive layer, a substrate, and a second semiconductor conductive layer that are stacked in sequence in the first direction, and the second semiconductor conductive layer is disposed between the substrate and the top cell. The recombination layer is disposed between the second semiconductor conductive layer and the top cell and includes transparent conductive layers and at least one metal layer that are alternatingly stacked in the first direction, a top layer and a bottom layer of the recombination layer are both transparent conductive layers.

This application provides a solar cell, a production method therefor, and a photovoltaic assembly. In one aspect, a solar cell includes a silicon substrate and a majority carrier tunneling field effect layer and a front selective contact layer stacked in sequence on a light receiving side of the silicon substrate. The front selective contact layer and the silicon substrate are of a same doping type. The majority carrier tunneling field effect layer includes a dielectric material with a dielectric constant greater than or equal to 8. A density of fixed charges in the majority carrier tunneling field effect layer is greater than or equal to a preset density. A type of the fixed charges in the majority carrier tunneling field effect layer is the same as a charge type of minority carriers in the silicon substrate.

A plasmonic field-enhanced photodetector is disclosed. The photodetector may generate photocurrent by absorbing surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs) generated by combining surface plasmons (SPs) with photons of a light wave.

The present application relates to a solar cell, a photovoltaic module, and a photovoltaic system. The solar cell includes an n-type semiconductor substrate, a first tunneling passivation structure, a second tunneling passivation structure, a third tunnel layer, and a third passivation layer. The n-type semiconductor substrate includes a first surface and a second surface opposite to each other. The second surface includes a passivation contact region and a passivation region adjacent to each other. The first tunneling passivation structure includes a first tunnel layer and a first passivation contact layer stacked in a direction away from the semiconductor substrate. The second tunneling passivation structure includes a second tunnel layer and a second passivation contact layer stacked on the passivation contact region. The third tunnel layer and the third passivation layer are stacked on the passivation region of the second surface.

Energy storage device comprising multiple solid state dielectric layers that can be used for high density electrical energy storage.