The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jan. 18, 1994
Filed:
Feb. 20, 1992
Koichi Matsuda, Nagahama, JP;
Tsutomu Murakami, Nagahama, JP;
Jinsho Matsuyama, Nagahama, JP;
Naoto Okada, Nagahama, JP;
Toshihiro Yamashita, Nagahama, JP;
Canon Kabushiki Kaisha, Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
A photovoltaic device having a semiconductor body with a pin junction, with reduced time-dependent deterioration, high reliability and a high photoelectric conversion efficiency is disclosed. An i-type semiconductor layer constituting the semiconductor body is composed of a layer having a region containing germanium and at least one region not containing germanium. The at least one region not containing germanium is provided at least at the side of a p-semiconductor layer. The maximum composition ratio of germanium in the region containing amorphous silicon and germanium is within a range from 20 to 70 at. %, and the composition ratio of germanium in the above-mentioned region containing amorphous silicon and germanium is zero at the side of an n-semiconductor layer and increases toward the side of the p-semiconductor layer, with the rate of increase being larger at the side of the n-semiconductor layer than at the side of p-semiconductor layer, and the composition ratio of germanium at the center of the i-layer thickness is at least equal to 75 at. % of the maximum composition ratio of germanium.