Thin-film solar cells

A flexible photovoltaic device includes a flexible substrate and a photovoltaic device body. The flexible substrate is a metal foil or film provided with an electric insulating layer of a material having an electric conductivity of not more than 10-7 (Ω·cm.)-1 at the time of light impinging and selected from a heat resistant polymer, a metal oxide, a crystalline or amorphous silicon compound and an organometallic compound.

Flexible photovoltaic device

Semiconductor solar cells: Recent progress in terrestrial applications

A method of making an electronic matrix array atop a non-conductive surface is disclosed. The method includes forming a first set of address lines on the non-conductive surface, depositing continuous layers of semiconductor materials atop the non-conductive surface and the first set of address lines to form a continuous selection means structure, and forming a second set of address lines over the selection means structure. In accordance with one preferred embodiment, the first set of address lines are formed by depositing a continuous layer of material which is convertible from an initially deposited non-conductive state to a conductive state responsive to the impingement of actinic radiation thereon and exposing selected portions of said convertible to actinic radiation.

Electronic matrix arrays and method for making the same

To provide a photoelectric conversion device with improved photoelectric conversion characteristics and cost competitiveness. A photoelectric conversion device including a semiconductor junction has a semiconductor layer in which a needle-like crystal is made to grow over an impurity semiconductor layer. The impurity semiconductor layer is formed of a microcrystalline semiconductor and includes an impurity imparting one conductivity type. An amorphous semiconductor layer is deposited on a microcrystalline semiconductor layer by setting the flow rate of a dilution gas (typically silane) to 1 time to 6 times the flow rate of a semiconductor source gas (typically hydrogen) at the time of deposition. Thus, a crystal with a three-dimensional shape tapered in a direction of the deposition of a film, i.e., in a direction from the microcrystalline semiconductor layer to the amorphous semiconductor layer is made to grow.

Photoelectric conversion device and method for manufacturing the same

A photovoltaic device comprises a light transmissive insulating substrate, on which a plurality of isolated transparent electrodes are formed. An amorphous silicon layer of a PIN structure, for example, is formed on the substrate continuously and in common to the respective transparent electrodes. Aluminum electrodes are formed on the surface of the amorphous silicon layer so as to correspond to the respective transparent electrodes. The transparent electrodes and the aluminum electrodes are electrically connected to the adjacent opponent electrodes to withdraw in a series fashion photovoltaic power generated at the respective photoelectric conversion regions.

Photovoltaic device and method of manufacturing thereof

A new type of the integrated a-Si: H photovoltaic cell module has been developed. The optimization of the cell parameters and dimensions were experimentally determined. The best conversion efficiency was 3.2%. The output power of the p-i-n cell was nearly equal to or larger than that of a crystal Si cell in fluorescent lighting.

Amorphous Si Photovoltaic Cells and Cell Module (Integrated Cell Module)

The conversion efficiencies of amorphous silicon (a-Si) solar cells were found to decrease with an increase of the cell size. The cause of this effect was investigated, and a part of the cause was indicated by a distributed constant model. In order to enlarge the size of a solar cell with high efficiency, we have developed an integrated structure for the a-Si solar cell module. The best conversion efficiency of this module with a size of 10×10 cm2 was 3.4% in sunlight.

A New Integrated Type Amorphous Si Solar Cell

PURPOSE:To obtain required photoelectromotive force with simplicity, by dividing the surface of an insulation substrate, which is pervious to visible light, into plural electricity-generating regions, providing these regions with the 1st electrode and amorphous Si layer containing pn-junction and the 2nd electrode, and connecting in series of photoelectromotive forces generated in these regions. CONSTITUTION:By dividing the surface of a visible-light-pervious substrate 7, such as glass, into plural electricity-generating regions, the 1st electrodes 12, which are pervious to visible light and composed of indium oxide or tin, etc., are attached onto the respective regions. An amorphous Si layer 11, which is composed of 3 layers piled in turn from the side of the substrate 7 including a p-type layer and a non-dope layer and an n-type layer, is piled on an entire surface containing these electrodes 12. And then, by providing the 2nd electrodes 13 of aluminum and chromium, etc. on the layer 11 in such positions as to face the respective electrodes 12, the electricity-generating regions are connected in series using respectively extended sections 14 and 15 of the electrodes 12 and 13. It is possible, in this mechanism, to obtain required voltage at any time and also to manufacture the device with simplicity.

Photoelectromotive force device

A pyroelectric pellet made of a Z cut plane of lithium tantalate, for example, is fixed onto an electrically conductive supporting base made of copper, for example, by means of an adhesive agent layer One embodiment of the adhesive agent layer interposed between the pyroelectric pellet and the electrically conductive supporting base comprises a mixture of an electrically conductive adhesive agent, such as a silver paste, admixed with heat insulating grains made of glass, ceramic, or the like, whereby thermal dissipation from the pyroelectric pellet to the electrically conductive supporting base is decreased Another embodiment of the adhesive agent layer comprises an electrically conductive adhesive agent layer in which is embedded a thin sheet made of synthetic resin having apertures The electrically conductive adhesive agent extends through the apertures of the sheet so as to fix the pyroelectric pellet to the electrically conductive supporting base

Terutoyo Imai

Papers

Photovoltaic device and method of manufacturing thereof

Amorphous Si Photovoltaic Cells and Cell Module (Integrated Cell Module)

A New Integrated Type Amorphous Si Solar Cell

Photoelectromotive force device

Pyroelectric type infrared radiation detecting device