Photoelectric conversion device

Abstract

A photoelectric conversion device such as a solar cell in which electrodes formed from a conductive paste make ohmic contact with the surfaces of impurity diffused layers respectively formed in a semiconductor substrate. The conductive paste contains ultrafine particles of silver and gold as its principal solid components. The conductive paste further contains, as its additional principal solid components, ultrafine particles of a metal having a eutectic temperature lower than that of silver when alloyed with the semiconductor and a powdery glass material not containing any lead oxide glass component. The electrodes provided by the conductive paste exhibit excellent electrical properties when the conductive paste is subjected to firing treatment at a temperature of about 600.degree. C. Thus, when, for example, the semiconductor substrate is of n-type silicon and a p.sup.+ -type diffused layer is formed in one of its major surfaces to form a p.sup.+ /n junction of relatively small depth, the electrode making ohmic contact with the p.sup.+ -type diffused layer does not penetrate through the p.sup.+ /n junction and has a low contact resistance. The photoelectric conversion device such as the solar cell thus obtained can operate with a higher conversion efficiency than hitherto and can be manufactured at a lower cost than hitherto.