Abstract: The invention provides a contact image sensor in which a common electrode is provided so as to oppose a plurality of individual electrodes arranged on a substrate across a photoconductive semiconductor film, characterized in that each of the individual electrodes is in contact with the semiconductor film through a window provided at a predetermined position in an insulating film. The insulating film can be made of a photosensitive resin, in which case the windows are formed by light exposure and development. Preferably, the insulating film is baked at an elevated temperature to purge impurities therefrom. The invention also provides image sensors in which the common electrode layer is made of an electrically conductive resin.

Abstract: In the particular embodiments of the invention disclosed in the specification, a single crystal silicon plate having heavy metal impurities is coated with a layer of amorphous silicon several hundred to several thousand Angstroms thick in a vacuum vessel by a glow discharge at a pressure of 1 to 10 Torr and a temperature of about 200.degree. C. Silane gas is used to form a non-doped layer and about 1% of diborane or phosphine gas may be added to form a p-type or an n-type layer, respectively. The glow discharge is produced by a high frequency voltage applied to electrodes in the vacuum vessel but a direct current discharge may be used initially to provide improved adhesion of the layer. When the plate is heated above the crystallization temperature of the a-Si layer, heavy metal impurities are gettered from the single crystal.

Abstract: A process for fabricating a thin-film solar battery is provided having one or more unit cells each having a thin-film semiconductor active region formed over a transparent dielectric substrate and being in contact with a transparent electrode on the substrate side and with a metal electrode on the opposite side. Layers of a transparent conductive film, a semiconductor film, and a metal film are successively formed over the substrate and each other, and the respective films are successively scribed by a laser to form separate, related layers which in turn form the cells. An opaque layer is formed on a portion of the substrate remote from the cells, is scribed by a laser, and serves as a marker so the substrate can be properly aligned during the scribing steps.

Abstract: A method is provided for fabricating thin film amorphous silicon p-i-n photodiode array image sensors that have transparent photodiode electrodes made of indium tin oxide or SnO.sub.2 and thin-film aluminum conductors for connecting the transparent electrodes to signal processing circuitry. The method provides for patterning of the aluminum conductors without eroding the material of the transparent electrodes through reduction of such material by hydrogen gas released during etching of the aluminum by using a photoresist etch mask that covers the areas of the transparent electrodes and defines the pattern of the aluminum conductors.

Abstract: In the particular embodiments of the invention disclosed in the specification, a closely spaced sensor array has two or three adjacent rows of sensor elements arranged to be connected so that if there is a defective sensor element in one row, an output signal can be obtained from the corresponding sensor element in an adjacent row to be used in place of a signal from the defective element. In one embodiment this is accomplished by selective operation of a switch and, in other embodiments, the signal output lead from the defective element is severed from that element and connected to the corresponding element in the adjacent row.

Abstract: A strain gauge includes a flexible substrate and film of microfine grains of amorphous silicon connected between electrodes. A strain gauge assembly comprises a substrate, a first electrode formed on the substrate, a semiconductor body connected at a first end to the first wire and including a plurality of layers of different semiconductor materials forming a blocking diode and a resistance, and a second electrode connected to a second end of the semiconductor body such that the diode and resistance are between the first and second electrodes.

Abstract: A rotational angle detecting device includes a rotatable plate attached to a shaft of a rotatable motor having a plurality of windows located at a first angular pitch and at a selected circumference with respect to the shaft, a light source, a stationary plate including first and second photoelectric detecting elements at a second pitch and the selected circumference, and electrical conductors connecting the first detecting elements in parallel and the second detecting elements in parallel such that the sum of the electrical signals produced by the photoelectric detecting elements are used to generate digital signals describing the rotational movement of the shaft with respect to the stationary plate.

Abstract: A rotational angle detecting device includes a rotatable plate attached to a shaft of a rotatable motor having a plurality of windows located at a first angular pitch and at a selected circumference with respect to the shaft, a light source, a stationary plate including first and second photoelectric detecting elements at a second pitch and the selected circumference, and electrical conductors connecting the first detecting elements in parallel and the second detecting elements in parallel such that the sum of the electrical signals produced by the photoelectric detecting elements are used to generate digital signals describing the rotational movement of the shaft with respect to the stationary plate.

Abstract: An image sensor for use in a solid-state facsimile transmitter includes a plurality of photosensors disposed in an array, each photosensor composed of a plurality of series-connected photodiodes; a voltage source; a plurality of switches for selectively applying a reverse bias from the voltage source to the photosensor array, each photosensor in the array being successively reverse biased by a corresponding one of the switches; and an output resistor for detecting current flowing through the selected reverse biased photosensor. The photosensors and switches may each comprise a plurality of series-connected photodiodes provided on a common substrate.

Abstract: A thin-film solar cell device in which multiple series-connected cell elements are formed in units which can then be readily joined together in either a series or parallel connection. At least two terminal electrodes are provided on the opposite side of the insulating substrate of each unit, connected to the respective end electrodes of the elements at the extreme ends on the obverse surface of the substrate. This may be done either by bending the flexible substrate around at opposite ends at angles of 180.degree., or by forming through-holes in the substrate at opposite ends and filling the through-holes with a conductive material. Units can then be joined merely by overlapping their edge portions and connecting them with a conductive adhesive.

Abstract: A pattern detector comprises a plurality of photoelectric converter elements having thin film semiconductors disposed adjacently in a line in one plane. The converter elements are shaped that they overlap one another by a predetermined length when viewed in a direction perpendicular to a direction in which the converter elements are disposed. The photoelectric converter elements may be disposed in a plurality of parallel arrays, staggered so that the center of one element in one array is opposed to a space between neighboring elements of the other array.

Abstract: A solar cell array is equipped with serially or parallel connected reverse polarity diodes formed simultaneously with the array. The diodes are constituted by one or more solar cells of the array which may be shaded to prevent photoelectric conversion, and which are electrically connected in reverse polarity with respect to the remaining cells.