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:
Apr. 24, 2001
Filed:
Dec. 29, 1998
Atsushi Shiozaki, Kyoto, JP;
Canon Kabushiki Kaisha, Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
The present invention provides a photovoltaic device being capable of generating a large amount of current even with thin joined semiconductor layers, has a high photoelectric conversion efficiency and can be manufactured inexpensively at a low temperature together with a manufacturing method of the same, a photovoltaic device integrated with a building material and a power-generating apparatus. The photovoltaic device is formed by depositing joined semiconductor layers on a substrate, wherein a ratio of projected areas of regions on a surface of the joined semiconductor layers that have heights not smaller than a center value of concavities and convexities to a projected area of the entire surface of the joined semiconductor layers is higher than a ratio of projected areas of regions on the surface of the substrate that have heights not smaller than the center value of concavities and convexities on a surface of the substrate to a projected area of the entire surface of the substrate.