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:
Jun. 14, 2011
Filed:
Jul. 25, 2006
Toshiaki Sasaki, Otsu, JP;
Kenji Yamamoto, Kobe, JP;
Toshiaki Sasaki, Otsu, JP;
Kenji Yamamoto, Kobe, JP;
Kaneka Corporation, Osaka-shi, JP;
Abstract
In order to improve photoelectric conversion properties of a silicon-based thin-film photoelectric converter to which a conductive SiOlayer is inserted to obtain an optical confinement effect, the silicon-based thin-film photoelectric converter according to the present invention includes an i-type photoelectric conversion layer of hydrogenated amorphous silicon or an alloy thereof, an i-type buffer layer made of hydrogenated amorphous silicon, and an n-type SiOlayer (x is 0.25-0.6) stacked successively, wherein the buffer layer has a higher hydrogen concentration at its interface with and as compared with the photoelectric conversion layer and has a thickness of at least 5 nm and at most 50 nm. Accordingly, generation of silicon crystal phase parts and reduction of resistivity are promoted in the n-type SiOlayer, contact resistance at the interface is reduced, and FF of the photoelectric converter is improved, so that the photoelectric converter achieves improved properties.