Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd.

Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.

Akira Terakawa

Toshio Asaumi

Hiroaki Izu

Koji Nishio

Hitoshi Hirano

Keiichi Kuramoto

Yoichi Domoto

Yukinori Kuwano

Keiichi Sano

Seiichi Kiyama

Shigeru Noguchi

Yasufumi Tsunomura

Ikuro Nakane

Satoshi Ishida

Yasuaki Yamamoto

Hiroshi Hosokawa

Toshiaki Baba

Takashi Kuwahara

Hiroyuki Kuriyama

Yukio Nakashima

Takahisa Sakakibara

Shinya Tsuda

Masato Nishikuni

Mikio Taguchi

Makoto Tanaka

Takeo Tsutsumi

In a photovoltaic cell, an i-type amorphous silicon film and an n-type amorphous silicon film are formed in a region excluding a predetermined width of an outer periphery on a main surface of an n-type single crystalline silicon substrate. A front electrode is formed so as to cover the i-type amorphous silicon film and the n-type amorphous silicon film on a main surface of the n-type single crystalline silicon substrate. An i-type amorphous silicon film and a p-type amorphous silicon film are formed on the entire area of a back surface of the n-type single crystalline silicon substrate. A back electrode is formed in a region excluding a predetermined width of an outer periphery on the p-type amorphous silicon film. A surface, on the side of the front electrode, of the photovoltaic cell is a primary light incidence surface.

Photovoltaic cell

A photovoltaic device capable of improving an output characteristic is provided. The photovoltaic device includes an n-type single-crystal silicon substrate, a p-type amorphous silicon substrate, and a substantially intrinsic i-type amorphous silicon layer disposed between the n-type single-crystal silicon substrate and the p-type amorphous silicon layer. The i-type amorphous silicon layer includes: a first section which is located on the n-type single-crystal silicon substrate side, and which has an oxygen concentration equal to or below 10cm; and a second section which is located on the p-type amorphous silicon layer side, and which has an oxygen concentration equal to or above 10cm.

Photovoltaic device and manufacturing method thereof

In the photovoltaic devices comprising a substantially intrinsic amorphous silicon layer containing hydrogen between an n-type single-crystal silicon substrate and a p-type amorphous silicon layer containing hydrogen, the photovoltaic device according to the present invention comprises a trap layer that contains less hydrogen than the intrinsic amorphous silicon layer between the p-type amorphous silicon layer and the intrinsic amorphous silicon layer. The trap layer reduces hydrogen diffusion from the intrinsic amorphous silicon layer to the p-type amorphous silicon layer.

Photovoltaic device

A method of manufacturing a semiconductor film capable of inhibiting the quality of a semiconductor film from destabilization is obtained. This method of manufacturing a semiconductor film includes steps of introducing source gas for a semiconductor, controlling the pressure of an atmosphere formed by the source gas to a prescribed level, heating a catalytic wire to at least a prescribed temperature after controlling the pressure of the atmosphere to the prescribed level and forming a semiconductor film by decomposing the source gas with the heated catalytic wire.

Method of manufacturing semiconductor film and method of manufacturing photovoltaic element

A photovoltaic device capable of improving output characteristics is provided. This photovoltaic device comprises a crystalline semiconductor member, a substantially intrinsic first amorphous semiconductor layer formed on the front surface of the crystalline semiconductor member and a first conductivity type second amorphous semiconductor layer formed on the front surface of the first amorphous semiconductor layer, and has a hydrogen concentration peak in the first amorphous semiconductor layer. Thus, the quantity of hydrogen atoms in the first amorphous semiconductor layer is so increased that the hydrogen atoms increased in quantity can be bonded to dangling bonds of silicon atoms forming defects in the first amorphous semiconductor layer for inactivating the dangling bonds.

A method of manufacturing a semiconductor film capable of suppressing difficulty in temperature control of a catalytic wire is obtained. This method of manufacturing a semiconductor film includes steps of heating a catalytic wire to at least a prescribed temperature and forming a semiconductor film by introducing source gas for a semiconductor and decomposing the source gas with the heated catalytic wire after heating the catalytic wire to at least the prescribed temperature.

A photovoltaic device capable of improving an output characteristic is obtained. This photovoltaic device includes a first conductivity type crystalline silicon region, a second conductivity type first noncrystalline silicon layer and a substantially intrinsic second noncrystalline silicon layer arranged between the crystalline silicon region and the first noncrystalline silicon layer, and the crystalline silicon region has an aperiodic corrugated shape having a height of not more than 2 nm on the interface between the same and the second noncrystalline silicon layer.

Photovoltaic device and method of manufacturing the same

Solar cells and methods of their manufacture are described that exhibit decreased or eliminated leak current, improved open voltage and improved fill factor characteristics. In an embodiment, a separate processed surface is interposed between a first and a second main surface of a crystal substrate, as prepared by laser irradiation and cut processing. The laser irradiation is applied to an amorphous semiconductor layer of the same conductive type as an underlying single crystal substrate, but does not penetrate an underlying amorphous opposite type layer. Details of lamination and laser characteristics for processing the layers are provided.

Photovoltaic device and manufacturing method of photovoltaic device

An i-type amorphous silicon film and an anti-reflection film made of amorphous silicon nitride or the like are formed in this order on a main surface of an n-type single-crystalline silicon substrate. On a back surface of the n-type single-crystalline silicon substrate are provided a positive electrode and a negative electrode next to each other. The positive electrode includes an i-type amorphous silicon film, a p-type amorphous silicon film, a back electrode, and a collector electrode formed in this order on the back surface of the n-type single-crystalline silicon substrate. The negative electrode includes an i-type amorphous silicon film, an n-type amorphous silicon film, a back electrode, and a collector electrode formed in this order on the back surface of the n-type single-crystalline silicon substrate.

Photovoltaic cell and method of fabricating the same

In a photovoltaic device of the present invention, junction characteristics are improved by enhancing interface characteristics between a crystalline silicon semiconductor and an amorphous silicon semiconductor. In the photovoltaic device, an n-type crystalline substrate () and a p-type amorphous silicon thin film () are laminated with an i-type amorphous silicon thin film () interposed as well as an n-type amorphous silicon thin film () is provided on a rear surface of the crystalline silicon substrate () by interposing an i-type amorphous silicon thin film () between them. Oxygen atoms exist at interfaces between the crystalline silicon substrate () and the i-type amorphous silicon thin films (), () in a higher concentration than that in the i-type amorphous silicon thin films (), ().

A photovoltaic device having a crystalline semiconductor and an amorphous semiconductor thin film so that junction characteristics can be upgraded. The photovoltaic device includes an i-type amorphous silicon thin film and a p-type amorphous silicon thin layer laminated in this order on a front surface of an n-type single crystalline silicon substrate, and an i-type amorphous silicon layer and an n-type amorphous silicon layer laminated in this order on a rear surface of the single crystalline silicon substrate, wherein an i-type amorphous silicon film is formed after the front surface of the single crystalline silicon substrate is exposed to a plasma discharge using mixed gas of hydrogen gas and a gas containing boron so that atoms of boron may be interposed on an interface between the single crystalline silicon substrate and the i-type amorphous silicon layer.

The body of a micromachine has a plurality of energy-power converting means for receiving different forms of energy including rays, microwaves and sound waves and converting the different forms of energy to electric power, i.e., photoelectromotive devices, a microwave-power converter and an acousto-electromotive device. The electric power obtained by these means is supplied to a drive system and an operation system incorporated in the machine body.

Micromachines

An electrostatic motor for use as a power generating mechanism to be mounted on a micromachine includes a rotatable semiconductor substrate and a drive electrode disposed in proximity to the substrate. The semiconductor substrate is doped with a specified impurity element to form electromagnetic wave-static electric converters of p-n junction. When the motor is to be started, the converter in the vicinity of the electrode is irradiated with electromagnetic waves to set up an electric field between the opposed surfaces of the converter and the electrode to rotate the substrate by an electrostatic force due to the electric field.

Growing community of inventors

Nara, Japan

Akira Terakawa