A photoconductive transducer intended to generate or detect waves in the terahertz frequency domain or in the picosecond pulse domain is provided. The transducer comprises a three-dimensional structure that includes, in this order, a first planar electrode, an array of nano-columns embedded in a layer of resist and a second planar electrode parallel to the first planar electrode. The design of the transducer increases the optical-to-terahertz conversion efficiency by means of photonic and plasmonic resonances and by means of high and homogeneous electric fields. The height of the nano-columns as well as the thickness of the resist range between 100 nanometres and 400 nanometres. The width of the nano-columns is between 100 nanometres and 400 nanometres, the distance between two adjacent nano-columns is between 300 nanometres and 500 nanometres, the nano-columns are made of a III-V semiconductor. The second electrode is transparent, so as to allow the transmission of a laser source towards the photo-absorbing nano-columns.

An interlayer is used to reduce Fermi-level pinning phenomena in a semiconductive device with a semiconductive substrate. The interlayer may be a rare-earth oxide. The interlayer may be an ionic semiconductor. A metallic barrier film may be disposed between the interlayer and a metallic coupling. The interlayer may be a thermal-process combination of the metallic barrier film and the semiconductive substrate. A process of forming the interlayer may include grading the interlayer. A computing system includes the interlayer.

A method for thermal exfoliation includes providing a target layer on a substrate to form a structure. A stressor layer is deposited on the target layer. The structure is placed in a temperature controlled environment to induce differential thermal expansion between the target layer and the substrate. The target layer is exfoliated from the substrate when a critical temperature is achieved such that the target layer is separated from the substrate to produce a standalone, thin film device.

A light detection device includes a substrate, a buffer layer disposed on the substrate, a first band gap change layer disposed on a portion of the buffer layer, a light absorption layer disposed on the first band gap change layer, a Schottky layer disposed on a portion of the light absorption layer, and a first electrode layer disposed on a portion of the Schottky layer.

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.

An imaging device with excellent imaging performance is provided. An imaging device that easily performs imaging under a low illuminance condition is provided. A low power consumption imaging device is provided. An imaging device with small variations in characteristics between its pixels is provided. A highly integrated imaging device is provided. A photoelectric conversion element includes a first electrode, and a first layer, a second layer, and a third layer. The first layer is provided between the first electrode and the third layer. The second layer is provided between the first layer and the third layer. The first layer contains selenium. The second layer contains a metal oxide. The third layer contains a metal oxide and also contains at least one of a rare gas atom, phosphorus, and boron. The selenium may be crystalline selenium. The second layer may be a layer of an InGaZn oxide including c-axis-aligned crystals.

Image sensors include a color photo-sensing photoelectric conversion device, a first color filter and a second color filter disposed under the color photo-sensing photoelectric conversion device, a first photodiode and a second photodiode disposed under the first color filter and the second color filter, respectively, a first light guide member disposed between the first color filter and the first photodiode, and a second light guide member disposed between the second color filter and the second photodiode.

A solar cell is disclosed. The solar cell includes a crystalline semiconductor substrate containing impurities of a first conductivity type, a front doped layer located on a front surface of the semiconductor substrate, a back doped layer located on a back surface of the semiconductor substrate, a front transparent conductive layer located on the front doped layer and having a first thickness, a front collector electrode located on the front transparent conductive layer, a back transparent conductive layer located under the back doped layer and having a second thickness, and a back collector electrode located under the back transparent conductive layer. The first thickness of the front transparent conductive layer and the second thickness of the back transparent conductive layer are different from each other, and a sheet resistance of the front transparent conductive layer is less than a sheet resistance of the back transparent conductive layer.

Disclosed are a photovoltaic with improved visibility, which can improve optical-to-electric conversion efficiency and can be applied to a window of a building or a view window of a moving means such as a vehicle, and a method of manufacturing the same. The photovoltaic includes a transparent substrate, a transparent electrode formed on one surface of the transparent substrate, a plurality of photovoltaic cells configured to each include a first electrode formed on the transparent electrode, an optical-to-electric conversion part formed on the first electrode, and a second electrode formed on the optical-to-electric conversion part, and a separation part provided between adjacent photovoltaic cells. The separation part exposes the transparent electrode to incident sunlight.

A solar cell having an electrical modulating stack layer is provided. The solar cell includes a first electrode, a second electrode, a photoelectric conversion layer, disposed between the first electrode and the second electrode. A first electrical modulating stack layer is disposed on the first electrode, wherein the first electrical modulating stack layer includes at least one positively charged layer and at least one negatively charged layer or the first electrical modulating layer includes a first surface modification layer.