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. 03, 2007
Filed:
Mar. 13, 2001
Akio Machida, Kanagawa, JP;
Setsuo Usui, Kanagawa, JP;
Kazumasa Nomoto, Kanagawa, JP;
Sony Corporation, Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
An optical energy conversion apparatusincludes a first impurity doped semiconductor layer, formed on a substrate, and which is of a semiconductor material admixed with a first impurity, an optically active layer, formed on the first impurity doped semiconductor layer, and which is of a hydrogen-containing amorphous semiconductor material, and a second impurity doped semiconductor layer, admixed with a second impurity and formed on the optically active semiconductor layer. The second impurity doped semiconductor layer is of a polycrystallized semiconductor material lower in hydrogen concentration than the material of the optically active semiconductor layer. The average crystal grain size in the depth-wise direction in an interfacing structure between the optically active semiconductor layerand the second impurity doped semiconductor layeris decreased stepwise in a direction proceeding from the surface of the second impurity doped semiconductor layer towards the substrate. By controlling the hydrogen concentration of the second impurity doped semiconductor layer, the number of dangling bonds in the second impurity doped semiconductor layeris significantly decreased to exhibit superior crystallinity to improve the conversion efficiency of the apparatus