Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha Corporation

Kenichi Higashi

Takeshi Kamikawa

Toshihiko Sakai

Kazuya Tsujino

Masatomi Harada

Liumin Zou

Tokuaki Kuniyoshi

Alberto Oscar Adan

Yuta Matsumoto

Hiroaki Shigeta

Chikao Okamoto

Naoki Asano

Takeshi Hieda

In a photovoltaic device (), first amorphous semiconductor portions () and second amorphous semiconductor portions () are provided alternately on one of faces of a semiconductor substrate (). Each first amorphous semiconductor portion () has at least one first amorphous semiconductor strip (), and each second amorphous semiconductor portion () has at least one second amorphous semiconductor strip (). A plurality of first electrodes () are provided spaced apart from each other on each first amorphous semiconductor strip (), and a plurality of second electrodes () are provided spaced apart from each other on each second amorphous semiconductor strip ().

Photovoltaic device

A photovoltaic device and a photovoltaic module are provided that suppressing diffusion of boron and thereby improving conversion efficiency. A photovoltaic deviceincludes: a semiconductor substrate; an intrinsic amorphous semiconductor layerprovided on the semiconductor substrate; n-type amorphous semiconductor stripscontaining phosphorus as a dopant; and p-type amorphous semiconductor stripscontaining boron as a dopant, the n- and p-type amorphous semiconductor stripsandbeing provided alternately on the intrinsic amorphous semiconductor layeras viewed along an in-plane direction. Each n-type amorphous semiconductor stripincludes a reduced-thickness region TD(n) on a face thereof adjacent to one of the p-type amorphous semiconductor strips. Each p-type amorphous semiconductor stripincludes a reduced-thickness region TD(p) on a face thereof adjacent to one of the n-type amorphous semiconductor strips. The reduced-thickness region TD(p) of the p-type amorphous semiconductor striphas a steeper angle of inclination than does the reduced-thickness region TD(n) of the n-type amorphous semiconductor strip

Provided are a photoelectric conversion element capable of enhancing characteristics and reliability more than ever before and a method for manufacturing the photoelectric conversion element. The photoelectric conversion element includes a base including a semiconductor substrate, a first i-type semiconductor film placed on a portion of a surface of the semiconductor substrate, a first conductivity-type semiconductor film placed on the first i-type semiconductor film, a second i-type semiconductor film placed on another portion of the surface thereof, and a second conductivity-type semiconductor film placed on the second i-type semiconductor film; an electrode section including a first electrode layer placed on the first conductivity-type semiconductor film and a second electrode layer placed on the second conductivity-type semiconductor film; and a reflective section placed in a gap region A interposed between the first electrode layer and the second electrode layer.

Photoelectric conversion element

A photovoltaic device () includes: an i-type amorphous semiconductor layer () formed in contact with one of the surfaces of a semiconductor substrate (); p-type amorphous semiconductor strips () spaced apart from each other and provided on the i-type amorphous semiconductor layer (); and n-type amorphous semiconductor strips () spaced apart from each other and provided on the i amorphous semiconductor layer (), each n-type amorphous semiconductor strip () being adjacent to at least one of the p-type amorphous semiconductor strips () as traced along an in-plane direction of the semiconductor substrate (). The photovoltaic device () further includes electrodes () as a protection layer formed in contact with the i-type amorphous semiconductor layer () between adjacent p-type amorphous semiconductor strips () and between adjacent n-type amorphous semiconductor strips ().

A the present invention provides an electrostatic discharge protection element to be used in a semiconductor integrated circuit providing MOSFET, comprising a thyristor and a trigger diode for triggering the thyristor into an ON-state, wherein the trigger diode provides an n-type cathode high concentration impurity region, a p-type anode high concentration impurity region and a gate formed between the two high concentration impurity regions, the gate being composed of the same material as that of a gate of MOSFET forming the semiconductor integrated circuit, and the thyristor provided with a p-type high concentration impurity region that forms a cathode and an n-type high concentration impurity region that forms an anode, and the p-type high concentration impurity region provides in a p well and connected to a resistor and/or the n-type high concentration impurity region provided in an n well and connected to a resistor.

Electrostatic discharge protection element

A SOI semiconductor device comprises: a SOI substrate in which a buried dielectric film and a surface semiconductor layer are laminated; at least one well formed in the surface semiconductor layer; and at least one transistor which is formed in the well and has a channel region and source/drain regions in the surface semiconductor layer, wherein the well is completely isolated in the surface semiconductor layer and has a well-contact for applying a bias voltage to the well, the transistor is isolated by a device isolation film formed in a surface of the surface semiconductor layer, the channel region is partially depleted, and the surface semiconductor layer under the source/drain regions is fully depleted.

Growing community of inventors

Sakai, Japan

Kenichi Higashi