Illustrative embodiments of the invention generally relate to photovoltaics and solar energy harvesting devices and, particularly, to those that are transparent or semi-transparent, allowing sufficient visible light through them to allow visualization of objects through them, and more particularly, to those that supplement their primary near ultraviolet light absorption with secondary and/or tertiary absorptions of narrow bands of visible light while maintaining their transparency. Various embodiments of the invention relate to single solar materials with both primary ultraviolet absorption and secondary, narrow-band visible absorption, while some embodiments of the invention utilize mixtures of one or more materials to realize a primary ultraviolet absorption of light with secondary, or even tertiary, narrow bands of visible light absorption. Means of manufacturing such photovoltaics and solar energy harvesting devices will also be disclosed as well as the applications and uses thereof.

Photovoltaic devices, and methods of fabricating photovoltaic devices. The photovoltaic devices may include a first electrode, at least one quantum dot layer, at least one semiconductor layer, and a second electrode. The first electrode may include a layer including Cr and one or more silver contacts.

According to an aspect, a detection device includes: a photodiode; a first light source and a second light source; a light source drive circuit configured to control lighting of the first and second light sources; and a detection circuit configured to output a sensor value corresponding to a photocurrent output from the photodiode. The detection circuit has readout periods and is configured to measure an integrated value of the photocurrent during each readout period. The light source drive circuit has a first mode in which the first and second light sources are alternately lit during the readout periods and a second mode in which one of the first and second light sources is lit during the readout periods. The readout periods include a first readout period in the first mode and a second readout period having a different length of time from the first readout period in the second mode.

The present inventive concept provides a solar cell and a manufacturing method therefor, the solar cell comprising: a semiconductor substrate; a first transparent electrode layer provided on one surface of the semiconductor substrate; and a first electrode provided on one surface of the first transparent electrode layer, wherein the first electrode comprises a first pattern layer pattern-formed through a deposition process using a shadow mask.

A solar cell includes a substrate, a transparent conductive film layer and a composite metal grid structure. The transparent conductive film layer is disposed on a side or both sides of the substrate; and the composite metal grid structure is disposed on a side, away from the substrate, of the transparent conductive film layer, and the transparent conductive film layer is electrically connected to the composite metal grid structure. The composite metal grid structure includes a first electrode layer and a second electrode layer, and the first electrode layer is located between the transparent conductive film layer and the second electrode layer. The composite metal grid structure including the first electrode layer and the second electrode layer is used in the solar cell, so that stability is relatively high, consumption of silver may be reduced to lower costs, electrical performance is good, and conversion efficiency can be improved.

A solar cell comprising a crystalline silicon substrate, a semiconductor layer arranged on a back surface of the substrate which is configured not to face a radiative source, when the solar cell is in use, and a transparent-conductive region arranged on a surface of the semiconductor layer, wherein the transparent conductive region comprises: a first layer having a first work function; and a second layer having a second work function and being interposed between the first layer and the semiconductor layer; wherein the second work function of the second layer is greater than the first work function of the first layer.

Provided is a photoelectric conversion element capable of suppressing a decrease in strength. A photoelectric conversion element comprises: a photoelectric conversion layer (26); an electrode layer (24) adjacent to the photoelectric conversion layer; a collecting electrode (30) adjacent to the electrode layer; and a conductor (50) joined to the collecting electrode. The thickness of the collecting electrode (30) at least at a joint portion between the collecting electrode (30) and the conductor (50) is 4 m or more.