Abstract: A solar cell for achieving an increase in performance. The solar cell is a back junction solar cell comprising a semiconductor substrate, first semiconductor layers stacked in a first region which is a part of the back side of the semiconductor substrate, and second semiconductor layers stacked in a second region which is another part of the back side of the semiconductor substrate. In the second region, the first semiconductor layers are present in some parts between the semiconductor substrate and the second semiconductor layers, wherein the first semiconductor layers comprise sea shapes in a sea-island structure.

Abstract: A vibration motor includes a stationary portion and a movable portion vibrable in an axis direction with respect to the stationary portion. The stationary portion includes a coil and a housing. The housing includes a first region expanding in a first direction orthogonal to the axis direction, and a second region disposed on one side in a second direction orthogonal to the axis direction and the first direction relative to the first region and expanding in the first direction. In a cross-section across the axis direction, a distance in the second direction between the second region and the first region is longest at a center in the first direction of the first region. In the cross-section, a shape formed by the first and second regions is asymmetric with respect to an axis extending parallel to the first direction through a center of the housing in the second direction.

Abstract: An input device includes a contact body to contact an object, a pressure sensor to detect pressure of contact of the contact body with the object, a vibrator to generate a vibration to provide a tactile sensation, and a vibration controller. The vibration of the vibrator when the pressure detected based on the output of the pressure sensor is large is larger than that when the pressure detected based on the output of the pressure sensor is small.

Abstract: A vibration motor includes a stationary part, and a movable element which has a magnet and can vibrate in one direction. The stationary part includes a coil which applies a driving force to the magnet due to energization, a housing which houses the movable element and the coil therein, a first lid part which closes an end portion of the housing on one side in the one direction, and a first bearing part. The first bearing part is disposed inside the housing on the other side in the one direction from the first lid part. The first bearing part includes a bearing inner circumferential surface disposed with a gap therebetween with respect to an outer circumferential surface of a portion of the movable element on one side in the one direction.

Abstract: A vibration motor includes a stationary portion and a movable portion vibrable in an axis direction with respect to the stationary portion. The stationary portion includes a coil and a housing. The housing includes a first region expanding in a first direction orthogonal to the axis direction, and a second region disposed on one side in a second direction orthogonal to the axis direction and the first direction relative to the first region and expanding in the first direction. In a cross-section across the axis direction, a distance in the second direction between the second region and the first region is longest at a center in the first direction of the first region. In the cross-section, a shape formed by the first and second regions is asymmetric with respect to an axis extending parallel to the first direction through a center of the housing in the second direction.

Abstract: An input device includes a contact body to contact an object, a pressure sensor to detect pressure of contact of the contact body with the object, a vibrator to generate a vibration to provide a tactile sensation, and a vibration controller. The vibration of the vibrator when the pressure detected based on the output of the pressure sensor is large is larger than that when the pressure detected based on the output of the pressure sensor is small.

Abstract: A vibration motor includes a stationary part, and a movable element which has a magnet and can vibrate in one direction. The stationary part includes a coil which applies a driving force to the magnet due to energization, a housing which houses the movable element and the coil therein, a first lid part which closes an end portion of the housing on one side in the one direction, and a first bearing part. The first bearing part is disposed inside the housing on the other side in the one direction from the first lid part. The first bearing part includes a bearing inner circumferential surface disposed with a gap therebetween with respect to an outer circumferential surface of a portion of the movable element on one side in the one direction.

Abstract: The method for manufacturing a solar cell includes: forming a first semiconductor layer of first conductivity type on a surface of a semiconductor substrate; forming a lift-off layer containing a silicon-based material on the first semiconductor layer; selectively removing the lift-off layer and first semiconductor layer; forming a second semiconductor layer of second conductivity type on a surface having the lift-off layer and first semiconductor layer; and removing the second semiconductor layer covering the lift-off layer by removing the lift-off layer using an etching solution.

Abstract: A solar cell includes a crystal substrate which has a major surface on a light reception side provided with a first texture surface and a major surface on a non-light reception side provided with a second texture surface. The second texture surface occupies 20% or more of the area of the major surface on the non-light reception side.

Abstract: A conductive paste composition includes 1 to 10 parts by weight of a binder (A), 2 to 20 parts by weight of an epoxy monomer (B), 1 to 20 parts by weight of a crosslinking agent (C), and 70 to 95 parts by weight of a conductive filler (D). The binder (A) is a reactive oligomer having a siloxane bond as a main skeleton and including a plurality of oxirane rings as an organic group. The epoxy monomer (B) includes an oxirane ring. The total amount of the binder (A), the epoxy monomer (B), the crosslinking agent (C), and the conductive filler (D) is 100 parts by weight.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a crystalline silicon-based solar cell includes performing a plasma treatment on a plurality of conductive single-crystalline silicon substrates in a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) chamber, each of the conductive single-crystalline silicon substrates having an intrinsic silicon-based layer on a first principal surface thereof. The first principal surface of the conductive single-crystalline silicon substrate may have a pyramidal texture that comprises a plurality of projections having a top portion, a middle portion, and a valley portion. The plasma treatment may include introducing a hydrogen gas and a silicon-containing gas into the CVD chamber and exposing a surface of the intrinsic silicon-based layer to hydrogen plasma. An amount of the hydrogen gas introduced into the CVD chamber during the plasma treatment may be 150 to 2500 times an amount of the silicon-containing gas introduced into the CVD chamber.

Abstract: A crystalline silicon-based solar cell includes, in the following order, a crystalline silicon substrate having a first principal surface, a non-single-crystalline silicon-based thin-film, and a transparent electroconductive layer. The non-single-crystalline silicon-based thin-film and the transparent electroconductive layer are disposed on the first principal surface. The non-single-crystalline silicon-based thin-film comprises, in the following order from the first principal surface, an intrinsic silicon-based thin-film and a conductive silicon-based thin-film. The first principal surface has a plurality of pyramidal projections, each having a top portion, a middle portion, and a bottom portion. A thickness of the non-single-crystalline silicon-based thin-film disposed on the top portions is smaller than a thickness of the non-single-crystalline silicon-based thin-film disposed on the middle portions.

Abstract: The solar cell includes a plurality of light-receiving-side finger electrodes on a light-receiving surface of a photoelectric conversion section having a semiconductor junction. The light-receiving surface of the photoelectric conversion section is covered with a first insulating layer. Each light-receiving-side finger electrodes include: a first metal seed layer provided between the photoelectric conversion section and the first insulating layer; and a first plating metal layer being conduction with the first metal seed layer through openings formed in the first insulating layer. The solar cell includes an isolated plating metal layer pieces contacting neither the light-receiving-side finger electrodes nor the back-side finger electrodes. On the surface of the first insulating layer, an isolated plating metal crowded region is present in a form of a band-shape extending parallel to an extending direction of the light-receiving-side finger electrodes.

Abstract: A photoelectric conversion section of a solar cell has a first electrode layer and a collecting electrode that are formed in this order on a first principal surface, and has a second electrode layer that is formed on a second principal surface. The collecting electrode includes a first electroconductive layer, an insulating layer, and a second electroconductive layer in this order on the first electrode layer. The first and second electroconductive layers are electrically connected via an opening section in the insulating layer. At peripheral edge of the first and second principal surfaces, the photoelectric conversion section has an insulating region excluding the first or second electrode layer. On the side of the principal surface having no insulating region, the first or second electrode layer is formed up to the peripheral end of the relevant principal surface.

Abstract: The method for manufacturing a solar cell includes: forming a first semiconductor layer of first conductivity type on a surface of a semiconductor substrate; forming a lift-off layer containing a silicon-based material on the first semiconductor layer; selectively removing the lift-off layer and first semiconductor layer; forming a second semiconductor layer of second conductivity type on a surface having the lift-off layer and first semiconductor layer; and removing the second semiconductor layer covering the lift-off layer by removing the lift-off layer using an etching solution.

Abstract: A crystalline silicon-based solar cell includes a crystalline silicon substrate having a first principal surface, a second principal surface, and a lateral surface. On the first principal surface is arranged, in the following order, a first intrinsic silicon-based thin-film, a first conductive silicon-based thin-film, a light-receiving-side transparent electrode layer and a light-receiving-side metal electrode. On the second principal surface is arranged, in the following order, a second intrinsic silicon-based thin-film, a second conductive silicon-based thin-film, a back-side transparent electrode layer and a back-side metal electrode. The second conductive silicon-based thin-film has a conductivity-type different from that of the first conductive silicon-based thin-film. Both the first principal surface and the second principal surface are textured. Both the light-receiving-side metal electrode and the back-side metal electrode have a pattern shape.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a crystalline silicon-based solar cell includes performing a plasma treatment on a plurality of conductive single-crystalline silicon substrates in a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) chamber, each of the conductive single-crystalline silicon substrates having an intrinsic silicon-based layer on a first principal surface thereof. The first principal surface of the conductive single-crystalline silicon substrate may have a pyramidal texture that comprises a plurality of projections having a top portion, a middle portion, and a valley portion. The plasma treatment may include introducing a hydrogen gas and a silicon-containing gas into the CVD chamber and exposing a surface of the intrinsic silicon-based layer to hydrogen plasma. An amount of the hydrogen gas introduced into the CVD chamber during the plasma treatment may be 150 to 2500 times an amount of the silicon-containing gas introduced into the CVD chamber.

Abstract: The solar cell includes a plurality of light-receiving-side finger electrodes on a light-receiving surface of a photoelectric conversion section having a semiconductor junction. The light-receiving surface of the photoelectric conversion section is covered with a first insulating layer. Each light-receiving-side finger electrodes include: a first metal seed layer provided between the photoelectric conversion section and the first insulating layer; and a first plating metal layer being conduction with the first metal seed layer through openings formed in the first insulating layer. The solar cell includes an isolated plating metal layer pieces contacting neither the light-receiving-side finger electrodes nor the back-side finger electrodes. On the surface of the first insulating layer, an isolated plating metal crowded region is present in a form of a band-shape extending parallel to an extending direction of the light-receiving-side finger electrodes.

Abstract: A back contact solar cell is suppressed in decrease of yield due to warp of a semiconductor substrate or short circuit of electrodes, and includes a semiconductor substrate; a semiconductor layer of a first conductivity type and a first electrode layer, sequentially laminated on a part of the back surface of the semiconductor substrate; and a semiconductor layer of a second conductivity type and a second electrode layer, sequentially laminated on another part of the back surface. Each of the first and second electrode layers comprises a base conductive layer and a plating layer covering the base conductive layer. The base conductive layer comprises a base bus bar part and a plurality of base finger parts. With respect to each one of the plurality of base finger parts, one end part and the other end part in the longitudinal direction are narrower than a middle part.

Abstract: A conductive paste composition includes 1 to 10 parts by weight of a binder (A), 2 to 20 parts by weight of an epoxy monomer (B), 1 to 20 parts by weight of a crosslinking agent (C), and 70 to 95 parts by weight of a conductive filler (D). The binder (A) is a reactive oligomer having a siloxane bond as a main skeleton and including a plurality of oxirane rings as an organic group. The epoxy monomer (B) includes an oxirane ring. The total amount of the binder (A), the epoxy monomer (B), the crosslinking agent (C), and the conductive filler (D) is 100 parts by weight.