Wafer alignment with restricted visual access has been disclosed. In an example, a method of processing a substrate for fabricating a solar cell involves supporting the substrate over a stage. The method involves forming a substantially opaque layer over the substrate. The substantially opaque layer at least partially covers edges of the substrate. The method involves performing fit-up of the substantially opaque layer to the substrate. The method involves illuminating the covered edges of the substrate with light transmitted through the stage, and capturing a first image of the covered edges of the substrate based on the light transmitted through the stage. The method further includes determining a first position of the substrate relative to the stage based on the first image of the covered edges. The substrate may be further processed based on the determined first position of the substrate under the substantially opaque layer.

The present embodiments provide a transparent electrode having a laminate structure of: a metal oxide layer having an amorphous structure and electroconductivity, and a metal nanowire layer; and further comprising an auxiliary metal wiring. The auxiliary metal wiring covers a part of the metal nanowire layer or of the metal oxide layer, and is connected to the metal nanowire layer.

To provide a transparent electrode that hardly causes migration of silver and has high resistance, a method for producing the same, and an electronic device using the transparent electrode.

A transparent electrode according to the embodiment includes a laminated structure in which a transparent base material, a conductive silver-containing layer, and a conductive oxide layer are laminated in this order,

wherein a ratio T.sub.800/T.sub.600 of total transmittances of the transparent electrode is 0.85 or more, where T.sub.800 and T.sub.600 are transmittances at wavelengths of 800 nm and 600 nm, respectively, and

the silver-containing layer is continuous. This electrode can be produced by bringing sulfur or a sulfur compound into contact with a laminated film in which a conductive silver-containing layer and a conductive oxide layer are laminated to form a sulfur-containing silver compound layer.

A solar cell including at least a first layer made of a semiconductor material for absorbing photons from light radiation and releasing charge carriers, and at least one conductive layer, overlapping the first layer, adapted to allow the light radiation to enter into the solar cell towards the first layer and to collect the charge carriers released by the first layer, the solar cell where the conductive layer includes at least three overlapped layers, including a transparent intermediate metal layer, made of metal, and two transparent oxide layers, made of a conductive oxide, where the two oxide layers are an inner oxide layer and an outer oxide layer surrounding the transparent intermediate metal layer to provide a low resistance path for the electrical charges and to maximize the amount of light radiation entering the solar cell. The embodiments also include a solar cells module including said solar cell.

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 includes a first n-type layer which is located between the p-type light-absorbing layer and the n-electrode and mainly contains a compound represented by Ga.sub.x1M1.sub.x2M2.sub.x3M3.sub.x4O.sub.x5, the M1 being Al and/or B, the M2 being one or more selected from the group consisting of In, Ti, Zn, Hf, and Zr, the M3 being one or more selected from the group consisting of Sn, Si, and Ge, the x1 and the x5 being more than 0, the x2, the x3, and the x4 being 0 or more, and the x5 when a sum of the x1, the x2, the x3, and the x4 is 2 being 3.0 or more and 3.8 or less, and a second n-type layer which is located between the first n-type layer and the n-electrode and mainly contains a compound represented by Ga.sub.y1M1.sub.y2M2.sub.y3M3.sub.y4O.sub.y5, the y1 and the y5 being more than 0, the y2, the y3, and the y4 being 0 or more, and the y5 when a sum of the y1, the y2, the y3, and the y4 is 2 being 3.0 or more and 3.8 or less, or a first n-type region which is located between the p-type light-absorbing layer and the n-electrode and mainly contains a compound represented by Ga.sub.x1M1.sub.x2M2.sub.x3M3.sub.x4O.sub.x5, the M1 being Al and/or B, the M2 being one or more selected from the group consisting of In, Ti, Zn, Hf, and Zr, the M3 being one or more selected from the group consisting of Sn, Si, and Ge, the x1 and the x5 being more than 0, the x2, the x3, and the x4 being 0 or more, and the x5 when a sum of the x1, the x2, the x3, and the x4 is 2 being 3.0 or more and 3.8 or less, and a second n-type region which is located between the first n-type region and the n-electrode and mainly contains a compound represented by Ga.sub.y1M1.sub.y2M2.sub.y3M3.sub.y4O.sub.y5, the y1 and the y5 being more than 0, the y2, the y3, and the y4 being 0 or more, and the y5 when a sum of the y1, the y2, the y3, and the y4 is 2 being 3.0 or more and 3.8 or less, wherein (x2+x3) is larger than (y2+y3).

Hybrid transparent conducting materials are disclosed which combine a polycrystalline film and conductive nanostructures, in which the polycrystalline film is “percolation doped” with the conductive nanostructures. The polycrystalline film preferably is a single atomic layer thickness of polycrystalline graphene, and the conductive nanostructures preferably are silver nanowires.

A photovoltaic cell includes a semiconductor element (20) formed from a direct semiconductor and a transparent biasing agent (28) overlying a first portion of the front face (22) of the semiconductor, the biasing agent producing a first depletion region (30) in the semiconductor element. A collector (40) directly contacts a second portion of the front face. The collector produces a second depletion region (44) in the semiconductor element. The collector (40) is out of direct conductive contact with the biasing agent (28) but in proximity to the biasing agent. A continuous region at least partially depleted of majority carriers extends between the first and second depletion regions at the front face of the semiconductor element, The continuous region may include overlapping portions of the first and second depletion regions (30,44), or may include an additional depletion region (160) formed by a charged dielectric (147).

Disclosed herein are methods for using cracked film lithography (CFL) for patterning transparent conductive metal grids. CFL can be vacuum- and Ag-free, and it forms more durable grids than nanowire approaches.

A photodiode includes: a semiconductor layer; a first conductive layer on the semiconductor layer and including a transparent conductive oxide; and a second conductive layer arranged between the semiconductor layer and the first conductive layer, having a work function different from a work function of the first conductive layer, and forming a Schottky junction structure with the semiconductor layer. The work function of the second conductive layer is set to lower the Schottky-barrier height, so that light in a wide wavelength band may be sensed.

The present invention relates to an electrically conductive film characterized by being able to undergo elastic deformation, having little residual strain rate and exhibiting stress relaxation properties. More specifically, the present invention relates to an electrically conductive film wherein the stress relaxation rate (R) and the residual strain rate (alpha), as measured in a prescribed extension-restoration test, are as follows: 20%≦R≦95% and 0%≦α≦3%.