Provided are a solar cell and a light emitting device with low leakage current and low cost, using ZnO fine particles. A p-type ZnO layer (p-type layer) (14) made primarily of p-type ZnO fine particles (931) is formed. P-side electrodes (16) are formed at a plurality of regions on the p-type layer (14). A thin insulating layer (18) is formed between an n-type layer (13) and the p-type layer (14). In the insulating layer (18), openings are formed at regions A each not overlapping the p-side electrodes (16) and being apart from them in a plan view. In the configuration, by thus making the p-side electrodes (16) apart from the regions A, the length of a current path in the p-type layer (14) can be made substantially larger than the layer thickness. Accordingly, even when n-type ZnO fine particles (932) are incorporated in the p-type layer (14), it is possible to interpose some of the p-type ZnO fine particles (931) along a leakage current path caused by the incorporation, and thereby cut off the current path.

Provided are a solar cell, a manufacturing method thereof, and a photovoltaic module. The solar cell includes: a semiconductor substrate, in which a rear surface of the semiconductor substrate having a first texture structure, the first texture structure includes two or more first substructures at least partially stacked on one another, and in a direction away from the rear surface and perpendicular to the rear surface, a distance between a top surface of an outermost first substructure and a top surface of an adjacent first substructure being less than or equal to 2μm; a first passivation layer located on a front surface of the semiconductor substrate; a tunnel oxide layer located on the first texture structure; a doped conductive layer located on a surface of the tunnel oxide layer; and a second passivation layer located on a surface of the doped conductive layer.

According to the embodiments provided herein, a method for scribing a layer stack of a photovoltaic device can include directing a laser scribing waveform to a film side of a layer stack. The laser scribing waveform can include pulse groupings that repeat at a group repetition period of greater than or equal to 1.5 μs. Each pulse of the pulse groupings can have a pulse width of less than or equal to 900 fs.

Discussed is a solar cell including a first conductive region positioned at a front surface of a semiconductor substrate and containing impurities of a first conductivity type or a second conductivity type, a second conductive region positioned at a back surface of the semiconductor substrate and containing impurities of a conductivity type opposite a conductivity type of impurities of the first conductive region, a first electrode positioned on the front surface of the semiconductor substrate and connected to the first conductive region, and a second electrode positioned on the back surface of the semiconductor substrate and connected to the second conductive region. Each of the first and second electrodes includes metal particles and a glass frit.

Method of manufacturing a solar cell, comprising: providing a solar cell (100) having an active surface (105a) intended, in use, to be exposed to sunlight; forming, in correspondence of said active surface, a protection against low-energy protons and other radiations harmful to the solar cell. Forming a protection comprises forming a layer of resin (110; 210) and forming by deposition of material on the resin layer a layer of protective material (115; 215b) on top of the resin layer.

Provided are a solar cell, a manufacturing method thereof and a photovoltaic module. The solar cell includes a semiconductor substrate, the semiconductor substrate having a first surface and a second surface opposite to each other; a first passivation layer and a first electrode layer that are located on the first surface of the semiconductor substrate; and a second passivation layer and a second electrode layer that are located on the second surface of the semiconductor substrate. A donor material film layer is provided between the first passivation layer and the first surface of the semiconductor substrate, and/or an acceptor material film layer is provided between the second passivation layer and the second surface of the semiconductor substrate.

In a metal oxide film formation method of the present invention, the following steps are performed. In a solution vessel, a raw-material solution including aluminum as a metallic element is turned into a mist so that a raw-material solution mist is obtained. In a solution vessel provided independently of the solution vessel, a reaction aiding solution including a reaction aiding agent for formation of aluminum oxide is turned into a mist so that an aiding-agent mist is obtained. Then, the raw-material solution mist and the aiding-agent mist are fed to a nozzle provided in a reactor vessel via paths. Thereafter, the raw-material solution mist and the aiding-agent mist are mixed in the nozzle so that a mixed mist is obtained. Then, the mixed mist is fed onto a back surface of a heated P-type silicon substrate.

A solar cell module capable of preventing the occurrence of a PID failure in a solar photovoltaic power generation system with a MW capacity, said system being used in a high-temperature high-humidity environment; and a method for manufacturing this solar cell module. A solar cell module which comprises a protection glass material and a sealing material on a light receiving surface side of a substrate, and which also comprises an oxide layer between the substrate and the protection glass material, said oxide layer containing a metal element and silicon. It is preferable that the oxide layer contains at least one metal element selected from the group consisting of magnesium, aluminum, titanium, vanadium, chromium, manganese, zirconium, niobium and molybdenum. It is also preferable that the oxide layer has a refractive index of from 1.5 to 2.3 (inclusive) with respect to incident light having a wavelength of 587 nm.

A solar cell includes: a semiconductor substrate formed of n-type crystalline silicon; a first stack formed of amorphous silicon in a first region on a first principle surface of the semiconductor substrate; a second stack formed of amorphous silicon in a second region different from the first region on the first principle surface; and a third stack formed of amorphous silicon on a second principle surface of the semiconductor substrate opposite from the first principle surface. The second stack has an oxygen concentration that is higher than that of the first stack.

A method for manufacturing high efficiency solar cells is disclosed. The method comprises providing a thin dielectric layer and a doped polysilicon layer on the back side of a silicon substrate. Subsequently, a high quality oxide layer and a wide band gap doped semiconductor layer can both be formed on the back and front sides of the silicon substrate. A metallization process to plate metal fingers onto the doped polysilicon layer through contact openings can then be performed. The plated metal fingers can form a first metal gridline. A second metal gridline can be formed by directly plating metal to an emitter region on the back side of the silicon substrate, eliminating the need for contact openings for the second metal gridline. Among the advantages, the method for manufacture provides decreased thermal processes, decreased etching steps, increased efficiency and a simplified procedure for the manufacture of high efficiency solar cells.