Abstract: A solar cell is provided which comprises a layer of crystalline silicon doped with boron on at least one surface thereof and having the other surface doped with vanadium.

Abstract: Disclosed are multi-layer thin-film devices having adjacent insulator-semiconductor layers employing n-or-p-type semiconductors wherein a charge maintained at the insulator-semiconductor interface creates a depletion region that substantially suppresses tunneling of majority carriers while enhancing tunneling of minority carriers. When employed in a metal-insulator semiconductor (MIS) device wherein the semiconductor is a compound such as gallium arsenide (GaAs) or Cadmium Sulfide (CdS), such minority carrier injection substantially increases the luminescence efficiency.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a surge arrester or transient voltage clipper device comprising a quasi-monocrystalline semiconductor (silicon for instance), with an extra large etch pit density or low-angle boundary grains. At these dislocation lines the dopant is present in a larger concentration, and multiple p.sup.+-n.sup.+ junctions are formed preferentially at these grain boundaries as an external impurity of the opposite type to the background dopant is diffused preferentially through these dislocation lines.