Various examples are provided related to color and optical sensing with vertically stacked sensors. In one example, a vertical color sensing element includes a R-sensing channel layer including a first sensing material, G-sensing channel layer including a second sensing material, and a B-sensing channel layer including a third sensing material. First and second transparent insulating layer having first and second thicknesses are between the R and G sensing channel layers and the G and B sensing channel layers, respectively. The first and second thicknesses can be based upon focal lengths of R-light, G-light and B-light entering the vertical color sensing device. In another example, a vertical optical sensor can include a first sensing channel layer including a first sensing material, a transparent insulating layer, and a second sensing channel layer including a second sensing material. The first sensing material can be vdW-S and the second sensing material can be different.

The present disclosure provides a detection substrate, a method for manufacturing the same and a flat panel detector. The detection substrate includes a base substrate and at least one pixel unit, the pixel unit includes: a transistor, an oxide layer, a reading electrode, and a photoelectric conversion structure sequentially arranged in a direction away from the base substrate, the reading electrode is electrically connected with the photoelectric conversion structure, the oxide layer is positioned between the transistor and the reading electrode, the oxide layer has a first through hole therein, an orthographic projection of the oxide layer on the base substrate at least covers that of the transistor on the base substrate, the reading electrode is electrically connected with the transistor through the first through hole, orthographic projections of the first through hole and the transistor on the base substrate are not overlapped with each other.

A photovoltaic device includes one or more features that taken alone or in combination enhance its efficiency. Some embodiments may comprise a tandem solar device in which a top PV cell is fabricated upon a front transparent substrate, that also serves as the top encapsulating substance. The top PV cell including the front encapsulating substance is then bonded (e.g., using adhesive) to a bottom PV cell in order to complete the tandem device. Using the same transparent, insulating element as both front encapsulating substance and a substrate for fabricating the top PV cell, obviates to the need to provide a separate structure (with resulting interfaces) to perform the latter role. For tandem and non-tandem PV devices, a Through-Substrate-Via (TSV) structure may extend through an insulating substrate in order to provide contact with an opposite side (e.g., back electrode). Embodiments may find particular use in fabricating shingled perovskite photovoltaic solar cells.

A homogeneous coating solution for forming a light-absorbing layer of a solar cell, the homogeneous solution including: at least one metal or metal compound selected from the group consisting of a group 11 metal, a group 13 metal, a group 11 metal compound and a group 13 metal compound; a Lewis base solvent; and a Lewis acid.

Photovoltaic cells, photovoltaic devices, and methods of fabrication are provided. The photovoltaic cells include a transparent substrate to allow light to enter the photovoltaic cell through the substrate, and a light absorption layer associated with the substrate. The light absorption layer has opposite first and second surfaces, with the first surface being closer to the transparent substrate than the second surface. A passivation layer is disposed over the second surface of the light absorption layer, and a plurality of first discrete contacts and a plurality of second discrete contacts are provided within the passivation layer to facilitate electrical coupling to the light absorption layer. A first electrode and a second electrode are disposed over the passivation layer to contact the plurality of first discrete contacts and the plurality of second discrete contacts, respectively. The first and second electrodes include a photon-reflective material.

Methods are provided for fabricating photovoltaic cell contacts, which include: providing a block copolymer layer above an electrical contact layer of the photovoltaic cell, the block copolymer layer being self-assembled by phase segregation to include multiple structures of a first polymer material surrounded, at least in part, by a second polymer material; selectively etching the block copolymer layer to remove the multiple structures, forming holes in the block copolymer layer; and using the holes in the block copolymer layer to facilitate providing electrical contacts between a light absorption layer of the photovoltaic cell and the electrical contact layer. For instance, the holes in the copolymer layer may be used in etching a passivation layer over the electrical contact layer to form nano-sized contact openings in the passivation layer to the contact layer. Once provided, the cell's light absorption material forms contacts extending through the contact openings in the passivation layer.

A method of making a CIGS/inorganic thin film tandem semiconductor device including the steps of depositing a textured buffer layer on an inexpensive substrate, depositing a metal-inorganic film from a eutectic alloy on the buffer layer, the metal being selected from a group of CIGS elements, and adding the remaining CIGS elements to the metal, thereby growing a CIGS film on the inorganic film for the tandem semiconductor device.

In various embodiments, photovoltaic devices incorporate discontinuous passivation layers (i) disposed between a thin-film absorber layer and a partner layer, (ii) disposed between the partner layer and a front contact layer, and/or (iii) disposed between a back contact layer and the thin-film absorber layer.

A PV module includes a transparent substrate, a first solar cell unit, a crystalline silicon solar cell, and a spacer. The first solar cell unit is between the transparent substrate and the crystalline silicon solar cell, and the first solar cell unit includes a first electrode, a second electrode, and a I-III-VI semiconductor layer between the first electrode and the second electrode. The I-III-VI semiconductor layer includes at least gallium (Ga) and sulfur (S), and the energy gap thereof is more than that of crystalline silicon. Moreover, the crystalline silicon solar cell and the first solar cell unit are separated by the spacer.

A method of fabricating a color tunable thin film photovoltaic device includes depositing a layer of a semiconducting compound configured to exhibit a photovoltaic effect, and depositing a buffer layer over the layer of the semiconducting compound. Depositing transparent conducting oxides (TCO) over the buffer layer is followed by selecting two or more layers of optically transparent materials such that constructive interference among wavelengths reflected by the buffer layer, the TCO, and the two or more layers results in a desired exhibited color and depositing the two or more layers of the optically transparent materials above the TCO.