Method of making a current collecting grid for solar cells, including the steps of a) providing a continuous layer stack (1) on a substrate (8), the layer stack (1) including an upper (2) and a lower (3) conductive layer having a photoactive layer (4) interposed there between; b) selectively removing the upper conductive layer (2) and the photoactive layer (4) for obtaining a first contact hole (10) extending through the upper conductive layer (2) and photoactive layer (4) exposing the lower conductive layer (3); c) printing a front contact body (4) on the upper conductive layer (2) and a back contact body (5) in the first contact hole (10) on the lower conductive layer (3) and forming an electrically insulating first gap surrounding the back contact body (5) between the upper conductive layer (2) and the back contact body (2).

The present technology relates to a photoelectric conversion element, a measuring method of the same, a solid-state imaging device, an electronic device, and a solar cell capable of further improving a quantum efficiency in a photoelectric conversion element using a photoelectric conversion layer including an organic semiconductor material. The photoelectric conversion element includes two electrodes forming a positive electrode (11) and a negative electrode (14), at least one charge blocking layer (13, 15) arranged between the two electrodes, and a photoelectric conversion layer (12) arranged between the two electrodes. The at least one charge blocking layer is an electron blocking layer (13) or a hole blocking layer (15), and a potential of the charge blocking layer is bent. The present technology is applied to, for example, a solid-state imaging device, a solar cell, and the like having a photoelectric conversion element.

The present technology relates to a photoelectric conversion element, a measuring method of the same, a solid-state imaging device, an electronic device, and a solar cell capable of further improving a quantum efficiency in a photoelectric conversion element using a photoelectric conversion layer including an organic semiconductor material. The photoelectric conversion element includes two electrodes forming a positive electrode (11) and a negative electrode (14), at least one charge blocking layer (13, 15) arranged between the two electrodes, and a photoelectric conversion layer (12) arranged between the two electrodes. The at least one charge blocking layer is an electron blocking layer (13) or a hole blocking layer (15), and a potential of the charge blocking layer is bent. The present technology is applied to, for example, a solid-state imaging device, a solar cell, and the like having a photoelectric conversion element.

A photovoltaic element including at least one photovoltaic cell at least partially segmented and having a base electrode, a top electrode, and a layer system comprising at least one photoactive layer, wherein the layer system is arranged between the base electrode and the top electrode, the segments are configured such that at least the top electrode and the layer system of one of the segments are separated from the top electrode and the layer system of another segment by at least one cavity to prevent contact between one another, the at least one cavity is formed substantially vertically relative to the layer system of the at least one photovoltaic cell, and the segments are electrically conductively connected in parallel with one another such that a flow of electric current through the at least one photovoltaic cell is distributed over each of the segments.

A photoelectric conversion element includes a base, a first electrode on or above the base, an electron-transporting layer on or above the first electrode, a photoelectric conversion layer on or above the electron-transporting layer, a hole-transporting layer on or above the photoelectric conversion layer, and a second electrode on or above the hole-transporting layer. The photoelectric conversion element has a penetration portion penetrating the electron-transporting layer and the photoelectric conversion layer. The photoelectric conversion element includes, in the penetration portion, a material of the hole-transporting layer and a material of the second electrode.

This composition for a hole collecting layer of an organic photoelectric conversion element contains: a charge-transporting substance comprising a polyaniline derivative represented by formula (1); a fluorine-based surfactant; and a solvent. The composition provides a thin film suitable for a hole collecting layer of an organic photoelectric conversion element, and is particularly suited for producing an inverse lamination type organic photoelectric conversion element. ##STR00001##
(In the formula, R.sup.1 to R.sup.6 each independently represent a hydrogen atom, etc., but one of R.sup.1 to R.sup.4 is a sulfonic acid group, one or more of the remaining R.sup.1 to R.sup.4 are a C1-20 alkoxy group, a C1-20 thioalkoxy group, a C1-20 alkyl group, a C2-20 alkenyl group, a C2-20 alkynyl group, a C1-20 haloalkyl group, a C6-20 aryl group, or a C7-20 aralkyl group, and m and n are numbers which satisfy 0≤m≤1, 0≤n≤1 and m+n=1).

Disubstituted diaryloxybenzoheterodiazole compound of general formula (I): ##STR00001##
in which: Z represents a sulfur atom, an oxygen atom, a selenium atom; or an NR.sub.5 group in which R.sub.5 is selected from linear or branched C.sub.1-C.sub.20, or from optionally substituted aryl groups; R.sub.1, R.sub.2, R.sub.3 and R.sub.4 are as defined in the claims. The disubstituted diaryloxybenzoheterodiazole compound of general formula (I) can advantageously be used as a spectrum converter in luminescent solar concentrators (LSCs) which are in turn capable of improving the performance of photovoltaic devices (or solar devices) selected, for example, from photovoltaic cells (or solar cells), photovoltaic modules (or solar modules) on either a rigid substrate or a flexible substrate.

Disubstituted diaryloxybenzoheterodiazole compound of general formula (I): ##STR00001##
in which: Z represents a sulfur atom, an oxygen atom, a selenium atom; or an NR.sub.5 group in which R.sub.5 is selected from linear or branched C.sub.1-C.sub.20, or from optionally substituted aryl groups; R.sub.1, R.sub.2, R.sub.3 and R.sub.4 are as defined in the claims. The disubstituted diaryloxybenzoheterodiazole compound of general formula (I) can advantageously be used as a spectrum converter in luminescent solar concentrators (LSCs) which are in turn capable of improving the performance of photovoltaic devices (or solar devices) selected, for example, from photovoltaic cells (or solar cells), photovoltaic modules (or solar modules) on either a rigid substrate or a flexible substrate.

The present invention relates to a solar cell sheet comprising a first and a second substrate, which first and second substrates are flexible and suitable for roll to roll printing, and the solar cell sheet further comprises one or more self-contained solar cell units, wherein each self-contained solar cell unit comprises one or more solar cell modules, and each solar cell module comprises a plurality of serially connected solar cells, wherein each of the solar cell modules comprises: a first substrate portion of the first flexible substrate and a second substrate portion of the second substrate, a plurality of first electrodes and a plurality of second electrodes arranged between the first and second substrate portions; and at least one organic active layer arranged between the plurality of first electrodes and the plurality of second electrodes; wherein, a continuous or discontinuous portion of a first adhesive material encircles each of the solar cell units. The present invention further relates to a method for producing the solar cell sheet comprising one or more self-contained solar units.

An ultra-thin shadow mask comprises a plastic foil including a plurality of apertures, wherein the ultra-thin shadow mask is less than 25 μm thick, and wherein the ultra-thin shadow mask has a feature size of at least 1 μm to about 100 μm. An organic photovoltaic (OPV) device comprises a first electrode including a first grid structure, the first grid structure having a feature size of at least 1 μm to about 100 μm, a heterojunction under the first electrode, a second electrode under the heterojunction including a second grid structure, and a plurality of outcoupling layers over the first electrode. Related methods are also disclosed.