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. 23, 2001
Filed:
Sep. 16, 1997
Toshimitsu Kariya, Nara, JP;
Canon Kabushiki Kaisha, Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
A photoelectric conversion element has a substrate, a lower conductive layer, a first doped layer, an i-layer, a second doped layer, and an upper conductive layer, wherein a surface of the lower conductive layer has an uneven configuration, the i-layer contains prismatic crystalline grains, and longitudinal directions of the prismatic crystalline grains are inclined with respect to a direction of a normal line to the substrate. A percentage of an overall volume of prismatic crystalline grains, each having an angle, defined below, of 20° or less, is 70% or more with respect to an overall volume of the i-layer; the angle is defined as an angle between a straight line passing a prismatic crystalline grain and being parallel to the longitudinal direction thereof and a straight line passing the prismatic crystalline grain out of straight lines taking shortest courses between the interface between the first doped layer and the i-layer and the interface between the second doped layer and the i-layer. The photoelectric conversion element of the present invention is improved in characteristics including photoelectric conversion efficiency, open-circuit voltage, short-circuit photocurrent, low-illuminance open-circuit voltage, and leak current. In addition, durability and upon are enhanced in an outdoor exposure test and long-term irradiation of light. Further, the cost of the further electric conversion element can be decreased greatly.