Provided is an inverted photoelectric conversion element having high conversion efficiency. A photoelectric conversion element according to the present disclosure includes, in sequence, a first conductive layer having light transparency, a hole transport layer, a light-absorbing layer expressed by a composition formula Ag.sub.aB.sub.ibI.sub.c, an electron transport layer, and a second conductive layer. In the composition formula, the composition ratio a, b, and c satisfies c=a+3b and 2b/a4, and light incident through the first conductive layer is photoelectrically converted.

A solar cell comprises a silicon substrate including a first surface and a second surface opposite to each other; a first doped layer disposed on the first surface; a second doped layer disposed on the second surface, a doped type of the first doped layer is opposite to a doped type of the second doped layer; a first electrode connecting to the first doped layer; a second electrode connecting to the second doped layer; and an isolation trench penetrating the first doped layer along a thickness direction of the silicon substrate and surrounding the first electrode.

The disclosure relates to a manufacturing method comprising the formation of elemental LED or photovoltaic structures on a first substrate, each comprising at least one p-type layer, an active zone and an n-type layer, formation of a first planar metal layer on the elemental structures, provision of a transfer substrate comprising a second planar metal layer, assembly of the elemental structures with the transfer substrate by bonding of the first and second metal layers by molecular adhesion at room temperature, and removal of the first substrate.

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.

Nanowire-based photovoltaic energy conversion devices and related fabrication methods therefor are described. A plurality of photovoltaic (PV) nanowires extend outwardly from a surface layer of a substrate, each PV nanowire having a root end near the substrate surface layer and a tip end opposite the root end. For some embodiments, a collar material is formed that laterally surrounds and is in contact with the PV nanowires along a portion of one or more of their ends. According to some embodiments, the PV nanowires are formed on a crystalline silicon substrate. According to some other embodiments, the PV nanowires are formed on a roll-sourced continuous substrate.

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.

The invention relates to semiconductor devices for conversion of the ionizing radiation into an electrical signal enabling determination of the radiation level and absorbed dose of gamma, proton, electronic and alpha radiations being measured. The ionizing radiation sensor is a p-i-n structure fabricated by the planar technology. The sensor contains a high-resistance silicon substrate of n-type conductivity, on whose front side there are p-regions; layer from SiO2; aluminum metallization; and a passivating layer. P-region, located in the central part of the substrate and occupying the most surface area, forms the active region of the sensor. At least two p-regions in the form of circular elements are located in the inactive region on the perimeter of the substrate around the central p-region and ensure a decrease in the surface current value and smooth voltage drop from the active region to the device perimeter.

It is an object to reduce the region of a photoelectric conversion element which light does not reach, to suppress deterioration of power generation efficiency, and to suppress manufacturing cost of a voltage conversion element. The present invention relates to a transmissive photoelectric conversion device which includes a photoelectric conversion element including an n-type semiconductor layer, an intrinsic semiconductor layer, and a p-type semiconductor layer; a voltage conversion element which is overlapped with the photoelectric conversion element and which includes an oxide semiconductor film for a channel formation region; and a conductive element which electrically connects the photoelectric conversion element and the voltage conversion element. The photoelectric conversion element is a solar cell. The voltage conversion element includes a transistor having a channel formation region including an oxide semiconductor film. The voltage conversion element is a DC-DC converter.

A method for forming a photovoltaic device includes depositing a p-type layer on a substrate. A barrier layer is formed on the p-type layer by exposing the p-type layer to an oxidizing agent. An intrinsic layer is formed on the barrier layer, and an n-type layer is formed on the intrinsic layer.

Techniques for enhancing the absorption of photons in semiconductors with the use of microstructures are described. The microstructures, such as pillars and/or holes, effectively increase the effective absorption length resulting in a greater absorption of the photons. Using microstructures for absorption enhancement for silicon photodiodes and silicon avalanche photodiodes can result in bandwidths in excess of 10 Gb/s at photons with wavelengths of 850 nm, and with quantum efficiencies of approximately 90% or more.