A solar cell of an embodiment includes a p-electrode; an n-electrode; a p-type light-absorbing layer located between the p-electrode and the n-electrode and mainly containing a cuprous oxide; and an n-type layer located between the first n-type layer and the n-electrode, the n-type layer including a first n-type layer and a second n-type layer or a first n-type region and a second n-type region; wherein the first n-type layer and the first n-type region is located on the p-type light-absorbing layer side, the second n-type layer and the second n-type region is located on the n-electrode side, the first n-type layer and the first n-type region mainly contain a compound represented by Ga.sub.x1M1.sub.x2O.sub.x3, the M1 is one or more selected from the group consisting of Hf, Zr, In, Zn, Ti, Al, B, Sn, Si, and Ge, the x1, the x2, and the x3 are more than 0, and the x3 when a sum of the x1 and the x2 is 2 is 3.0 or more and 3.8 or less, the second n-type layer and the second n-type region mainly contain a compound represented by Ga.sub.y1Zn.sub.y2M2.sub.y3M3.sub.y4O.sub.y5, the M2 is one or more selected from the group consisting of Hf, Zr, In, Ti, Al, B, Si, and Ge, the M3 is Sn or/and Mg, the y1, the y2, the y3, and the y4 are 0 or more, a sum of the y3 and the y4 is more than 0, and the y5 when a sum of the y1, the y2, the y3, and the y4 is 2 is 2.2 or more and 3.6 or less.

A photoexcitable material includes: a solid solution of MN (where M is at least one of gallium, aluminum and indium) and ZnO, wherein the photoexcitable material includes 30 to 70 mol % ZnO and has a band gap energy of 2.20 eV or less.

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.

A passivation process includes the successive steps of a) providing a stack having, in succession, a substrate based on crystalline silicon, a layer of silicon oxide, and at least one layer of transparent conductive oxide; and b) applying a hydrogen-containing plasma to the stack, step b) being executed at a suitable temperature so that hydrogen atoms of the hydrogen-containing plasma diffuse to the interface between the substrate and the layer of silicon oxide.

A photovoltaic device with an improved n-type partner and a method for making the same. The device includes: a transparent substrate; a transparent conductive electrode layer disposed on the transparent substrate; an n-type layer of Zn.sub.1-xMg.sub.xO, wherein 0<x≦1, disposed on the transparent conductive electrode layer; a chalcogen absorber layer disposed on the n-type layer; and a conductive layer disposed on the chalcogen absorber layer. The method includes: forming a transparent conductive electrode layer on a transparent substrate; forming an n-type layer of Zn.sub.1-xMg.sub.xO, wherein 0<x≦1, on the transparent conductive electrode layer; forming a chalcogen absorber layer on the n-type layer; forming a conductive layer on the chalcogen absorber layer; and annealing to form the device. Another device having a superstrate configuration with the order of the layers reversed and a method for making the same is provided.

A photoexcitable material includes: a solid solution of MN (where M is at least one of gallium, aluminum and indium) and ZnO, wherein the photoexcitable material includes 30 to 70 mol % ZnO and has a band gap energy of 2.20 eV or less.

A perovskite-based solar cell comprising a transparent electrode disposed on a buffer layer that protects the perovskite from damage during the deposition of the electrode is disclosed. The buffer material is deposited using either low-temperature atomic-layer deposition, chemical-vapor deposition, or pulsed chemical-vapor deposition. In some embodiments, the perovskite material is operative as an absorption layer in a multi-cell solar-cell structure. In some embodiments, the perovskite material is operative as an absorption layer in a single-junction solar cell structure.

Systems and methods for generating electrical current from at least one photovoltaic cell is described herein. The photovoltaic cell may be disposed over a display of an electronic device. The photovoltaic cell may comprise first and second conductive layers and a photovoltaic layer. The first conductive layer may be etched such that a width of the metal layer is less than a width of the photovoltaic layer providing visibility to the display disposed below. In some embodiments, a capacitive touch sensor is disposed between the metal layer and the absorber layer for providing interaction with a user.

A composition of matter, in particular a photovoltaic cell, comprising: at least one core semiconductor nanowire on a graphitic substrate, said at least one core nanowire having been grown epitaxially on said substrate wherein said nanowire comprises at least one group III-V compound or at least one group II-VI compound or at least one group IV element; a semiconductor shell surrounding said core nanowire, said shell comprising at least one group III-V compound or at least one group II-VI compound or at least one group IV element such that said core nanowire and said shell form a n-type semiconductor and a p-type semiconductor respectively or vice versa; and an outer conducting coating surrounding said shell which forms an electrode contact.

A photovoltaic device and method include forming a plurality of pillar structures in a substrate, forming a first electrode layer on the pillar structures and forming a continuous photovoltaic stack including an N-type layer, a P-type layer and an intrinsic layer on the first electrode. A second electrode layer is deposited over the photovoltaic stack such that gaps or fissures occur in the second electrode layer between the pillar structures. The second electrode layer is wet etched to open up the gaps or fissures and reduce the second electrode layer to form a three-dimensional electrode of substantially uniform thickness over the photovoltaic stack.