A radiation detector is generally described. The detector can comprise a thallium halide (e.g., TlBr) and/or an indium halide. The thallium halide and/or indium halide can be doped with a dopant or a mixture of dopants. The dopant can comprise an alkaline earth metal element, a lanthanide element, and/or an element with an oxidation state of +2. Non-limiting examples of suitable dopants include Ba, Sr, Ca, Mg, La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Pm, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, and/or Yb. Radiation detectors, as described herein, may have beneficial properties, including enhanced charge collection and long-term stability.

A radiation detector includes a halide semiconductor sandwiched a cathode and an anode and a buffer layer between the halide semiconductor and the anode. The anode comprises a composition selected from: (a) an electrically conducting inorganic-oxide composition, (b) an electrically conducting organic composition, and (c) an organic-inorganic hybrid composition. The buffer layer comprises a composition selected from: (a) a composition distinct from the composition of the anode and including at least one other electrically conducting inorganic-oxide composition, electrically conducting organic composition, or organic-inorganic hybrid composition; (b) a semi-insulating layer selected from: (i) a polymer-based composition; (ii) a perovskite-based composition; (iii) an oxide-semiconductor composition; (iv) a polycrystalline halide semiconductor; (v) a carbide, nitride, phosphide, or sulfide semiconductor; and (vi) a group II-VI or III-V semiconductor; and (c) a component metal of the halide-semiconductor.

A photovoltaic device is presented. The photovoltaic device includes a buffer layer disposed on a transparent conductive oxide layer; a window layer disposed on the buffer layer; and an interlayer interposed between the transparent conductive oxide layer and the window layer. The interlayer includes a metal species, wherein the metal species includes gadolinium, beryllium, calcium, barium, strontium, scandium, yttrium, hafnium, cerium, lutetium, lanthanum, or combinations thereof. A method of making a photovoltaic device is also presented

This n-type SnS thin-film has n-type conductivity, an average thickness thereof is 0.100 μm to 10 μm, a ratio (α.sub.1.1/α.sub.1.6) of an absorption coefficient α.sub.1.1 at a photon energy of 1.1 eV to an absorption coefficient α.sub.1.6 at a photon energy of 1.6 eV is 0.200 or less, an atomic ratio of an S content to an Sn content is 0.85 to 1.10.

The present invention discloses an Er doped Ga.sub.2O.sub.3 film, together with its preparation method and the application in the field of luminescence. The preparation method contains steps of: (1) the films are deposited by means of Radio-Frequency magnetron sputtering onto the heated substrates after the pre-sputtering for at least 5 minutes, selecting Er doped Ga.sub.2O.sub.3 target or Er and Ga.sub.2O.sub.3 targets, with the ambient of Ar and O.sub.2; (2) the films as prepared in step (1) are thermally treated at the temperature higher than 300° C. in the ambient of O.sub.2 or N.sub.2, in order to optically activate Er.sup.3+ and crystalize Ga.sub.2O.sub.3 hosts meanwhile, followed by natural cooling, obtaining the Er doped Ga.sub.2O.sub.3 films as described. The preparation technology of the present invention is simple, with a good process compatibility. It is believed that the present invention will be widely used in the field of silicon-based integrated light sources, semiconductor luminescence, optical communication, with broad application prospects.

Provided is a semiconductor material having improved oxidation resistance. The semiconductor material has a single crystal represented by the following composition formula:

Mg.sub.2Sn.Zn.sub.a  Composition formula:

in which, a is a Zn content of from 0.05 to 1 at % relative to Mg.sub.2Sn.

A photovoltaic device is presented. The photovoltaic device includes a buffer layer disposed on a transparent conductive oxide layer; a window layer disposed on the buffer layer; and an interlayer interposed between the transparent conductive oxide layer and the window layer. The interlayer includes a metal species, wherein the metal species includes gadolinium, beryllium, calcium, barium, strontium, scandium, yttrium, hafnium, cerium, lutetium, lanthanum, or combinations thereof. A method of making a photovoltaic device is also presented.

Methods of forming a p-type IV-doped III-VI semiconductor are provided which comprise exposing a substrate to a vapor composition comprising a group III precursor comprising a group III element, a group VI precursor comprising a group VI element, and a group IV precursor comprising a group IV element, under conditions to form a p-type IV-doped III-VI semiconductor via metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) on the substrate. Embodiments make use of a flow ratio defined as a flow rate of the group VI precursor to a flow rate of the group III precursor wherein the flow ratio is below an inversion flow ratio value for the IV-doped III-VI semiconductor.

An alloyed halide double perovskite material, an alloyed halide double perovskite solar-cell absorber and solar cells constructed with such absorbers, the alloyed halide double perovskite material having the formula A.sub.2B.sub.1-aB′.sub.1-bD.sub.xX.sub.6, where A is an inorganic cation, an organic cation, a mixture of inorganic cations, a mixture of organic cations, or a mixture of one or more inorganic cations and one or more organic cations, where B is a metal, a mixture of metals, a metalloid, a mixture of metalloids, any mixture thereof, or is a vacancy, where B′ is a metal, a mixture of metals, a metalloid, a mixture of metalloids, any mixture thereof, or is a vacancy, where D is a dopant, and where X is a halide, a pseudohalide, a mixture of halides, a mixture of pseudohalides, or a mixture of halides and pseudohalides, and where x=a+b.

A novel compound semiconductor which can be used for a solar cell, a thermoelectric material, or the like, and the use thereof.