Abstract: A semiconductor cell for generating current in response to incident radiation, particularly solar energy, wherein a layer of material having charges is disposed over the PN current generating junction. The layer having charges possesses a net bound charge of the same polarity as the minority carriers associated with the underlying semiconductor material for aiding minority carrier flow across the PN junction and for minimizing recombination of those minority carriers at the surface of the semiconductor body.

Abstract: This disclosure relates to a semiconductor solar energy device which is of the PN-type and utilizes a dielectric anti-reflective coating on the side of the device that faces the sunlight. The fabrication techniques used in making this semiconductor device include the use of ion implantation to form doped or diffused regions in the device. One of the ion implanted regions located on the side of the device that is subjected to the sunlight is configured in order to permit metal ohmic contact to be made thereto without shorting through the doped region during sintering of the metal contacts to the semiconductor substrate. The dielectric anti-reflective coating, in one embodiment, is a composite of silicon dioxide and silicon nitride layers. The device is designed to permit solder contacts to be made to the P and N regions thereof without possibility of shorting to semiconductor regions of opposite type conductivity.