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:
Aug. 12, 2014
Filed:
Sep. 24, 2009
Yasutaka Nishida, Tokyo, JP;
Michihiko Inaba, Kanagawa-ken, JP;
Shinya Sakurada, Tokyo, JP;
Satoshi Itoh, Ibaraki-ken, JP;
Yasutaka Nishida, Tokyo, JP;
Michihiko Inaba, Kanagawa-ken, JP;
Shinya Sakurada, Tokyo, JP;
Satoshi Itoh, Ibaraki-ken, JP;
Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
A solar cell includes a p-n junction formed by joining a p-type semiconductor and an n-type semiconductor. The p-type semiconductor is a chalcopyrite compound semiconductor with a band gap of 1.5 eV or more within which an intermediate level exists with a half bandwidth of 0.05 eV or more. The intermediate level is different from an impurity level. The chalcopyrite compound semiconductor includes a first element having first electronegativity of 1.9 or more in Pauling units, the first element occupying a lattice site of the semiconductor. A portion of the first element is substituted with a second element having second electronegativity different from the first electronegativity, the second element being a congeneric element of the first element. The intermediate level is created by substituting the first element with the second element.