Abstract: A photoelectric conversion device includes a substrate and a transparent, electrically conductive film covering at least a portion of a major surface of the substrate and having an irregular geometry on a surface thereof closer to a semiconductor layer. Furthermore, the photoelectric conversion device includes a first conduction type semiconductor layer covering at least a portion of the irregular geometry of the transparent, electrically conductive film, and a light absorption layer covering the first conduction type semiconductor layer. The irregular geometry has a bump having a maximum height equal to or larger than 50 nm and equal to or smaller than 1200 nm. The bump has a surface having a submicron recess having local peaks having a spacing equal to or larger than 2 nm and equal to or smaller than 25 nm.

Abstract: There is provided a semiconductor film formed on a surface of a substrate and containing a crystalline substance, wherein the semiconductor film has a central region including a center of a surface of the semiconductor film and a peripheral region located around the central region, and a crystallization ratio in the peripheral region of the semiconductor film is higher than a crystallization ratio in the central region. There is also provided a photoelectric conversion device including the semiconductor film.

Abstract: A photoelectric conversion device which can improve photoelectric conversion efficiency is provided. The photoelectric conversion device has at least one p-i-n type photoelectric conversion part which includes a first conductivity type layer, a first i-type layer, a second i-type layer and a second conductivity type layer stacked in this order, and it is characterized in that a crystallization ratio of the first i-type layer is lower than that of the second i-type layer and a change rate of a crystallization ratio in a film-thickness direction at an interface between the first i-type layer and the second i-type layer is 0.013 to 0.24 nm?1.

Abstract: To provide a stacked photoelectric conversion device and a method for producing the same, in which an interlayer is provided between photoelectric conversion layers to obtain an effect of controlling the amount of incidence light, and carrier recombination at an interface between the interlayer and a semiconductor layer is decreased to enhance photoelectric conversion efficiency. The stacked photoelectric conversion device of the present invention comprises a plurality of silicon-based photoelectric conversion layers having a p-i-n structure stacked, wherein at least a pair of adjacent photoelectric conversion layers have an interlayer of a silicon nitride therebetween, the pair of the photoelectric conversion layers are electrically connected with each other, and a p-type silicon-based semiconductor layer constituting a part of the photoelectric conversion layer and contacting the interlayer contains a nitrogen atom.

Abstract: The semiconductor of the present invention has iron sulfide and a forbidden band control element contained in the iron sulfide. The forbidden band control element has a property capable of controlling the forbidden band of iron sulfide on the basis of the number density of the forbidden band control element in the iron sulfide. An n-type semiconductor is manufactured by incorporating a group 13 element of the IUPAC system into iron sulfide. Moreover, a p-type semiconductor is manufactured by incorporating a group Ia element into iron sulfide. A semiconductor junction device or a photoelectric converter is manufactured by using the n-type semiconductor and the p-type semiconductor.

Abstract: To provide a stacked photoelectric conversion device capable of inhibiting extreme decrease of the output in the morning and evening. A stacked photoelectric conversion device of the present invention comprises a first photoelectric conversion layer, a second photoelectric conversion layer and a third photoelectric conversion layer stacked in this order from a light entrance side, each photoelectric conversion layer having a p-i-n junction and formed of a silicon based semiconductor, wherein a short-circuit photocurrent of the first photoelectric conversion layer is larger than a short-circuit photocurrent of the second photoelectric conversion layer or a short-circuit photocurrent of the third photoelectric conversion layer under a condition of light source: xenon lamp, irradiance: 100 mW/cm2, AM: 1.5, and temperature: 25° C.

Abstract: A laminated body, comprising: a supporting body having a concave-convex surface; and a semiconductor layer laminated on a surface of the supporting body, wherein a part of the supporting body includes a layer thickness measurement portion for optically measuring a layer thickness of the semiconductor layer, and the layer thickness measurement portion includes a reduced surface roughness region whose surface roughness is smaller than that of the concave-convex surface.

Abstract: The semiconductor of the present invention has iron sulfide and a forbidden band control element contained in the iron sulfide. The forbidden band control element has a property capable of controlling the forbidden band of iron sulfide on the basis of the number density of the forbidden band control element in the iron sulfide. An n-type semiconductor is manufactured by incorporating a group 13 element of the IUPAC system into iron sulfide. Moreover, a p-type semiconductor is manufactured by incorporating a group Ia element into iron sulfide. A semiconductor junction device or a photoelectric converter is manufactured by using the n-type semiconductor and the p-type semiconductor.

Abstract: The thin-film solar cell module according to the present invention has: a substrate; and a cell module having three or more cell strings, each of which has a constant width, wherein each cell string has a plurality of solar cells having the same width as the cell string and connected in series, the cell strings have the same length as the solar cells connected in series and are provided on the substrate in parallel connection so as to be aligned, the solar cells respectively have a front surface electrode, a photoelectric conversion layer and a rear surface electrode layered in this order, each cell string has contact lines electrically connecting the front surface electrode of a first solar cell to the rear surface electrode of a second solar cell, and the cell strings at both ends in the three or more cell strings have a width narrower than the other cell string.

Abstract: The thin-film solar cell module according to the present invention has a substrate and a cell module that includes three or more cell strings, each of which has a constant width, and is characterized in that each cell string has a plurality of solar cells which are connected in series, the cell strings are provided on the substrate so as to be aligned in a direction perpendicular to a direction in which the solar cells are connected in series and connected to each other in parallel, the solar cells each have a front surface electrode, a photoelectric conversion layer and a rear surface electrode stacked in this order, the cell strings have contact lines which electrically connect the front surface electrode of one of neighboring solar cells of the solar cells and the rear surface electrode of the other, the solar cells being included in the cell string, and have the same width as the cell string, and at least one of the cell strings at the two ends of the above described three or more cell strings has a width

Abstract: An integrated thin-film solar battery, comprising: a plurality of strings having a plurality of thin-film photoelectric conversion elements formed on a transparent insulating substrate, the thin-film photoelectric conversion elements being electrically connected in series to each other, wherein the thin-film photoelectric conversion elements have a first transparent electrode layer laminated on the transparent insulating substrate, a photoelectric conversion layer laminated on the first electrode layer and a second electrode layer laminated on the photoelectric conversion layer, the plurality of strings are arranged in parallel on the same transparent insulating substrate in a direction perpendicular to the series-connecting direction across one or more string separating grooves extending to the series-connecting direction, the string separating groove includes a first groove formed by removing the first electrode layer, and a second groove formed by removing the photoelectric conversion layer and the seco

Abstract: An integrated thin-film solar battery, comprising: a string that includes a plurality of thin-film photoelectric conversion elements formed on a transparent insulating substrate and electrically connected in series to each other; and one or more power collecting electrodes electrically jointed to the string, wherein the thin-film photoelectric conversion elements have a first transparent electrode layer laminated on the transparent insulating substrate, a photoelectric conversion layer laminated on the first electrode layer, and a second electrode layer laminated on the photoelectric conversion layer, the power collecting electrode is electrically jointed onto the second electrode layer of any thin-film photoelectric conversion element in the string, the string has an element separating groove formed by removing the second electrode layer and the photoelectric conversion layer between the adjacent two thin-film photoelectric elements, the first electrode layer of one thin-film photoelectric conversion elem

Abstract: An integrated thin-film solar battery, comprising: a string that includes a plurality of thin-film photoelectric conversion elements formed on a transparent insulating substrate and electrically connected in series to each other; and one or more power collecting electrodes electrically jointed to the string, wherein the thin-film photoelectric conversion elements have a first transparent electrode layer laminated on the transparent insulating substrate, a photoelectric conversion layer laminated on the first electrode layer, and a second electrode layer laminated on the photoelectric conversion layer, the power collecting electrode is electrically jointed onto the second electrode layer of any thin-film photoelectric conversion element in the string, the string has an element separating groove formed by removing the second electrode layer and the photoelectric conversion layer between the adjacent two thin-film photoelectric elements, the first electrode layer of one thin-film photoelectric conversion elem

Abstract: A photoelectric conversion device comprising: a pin-type photoelectric conversion layer constituted of a p-type semiconductor layer, an i-type semiconductor layer and an n-type semiconductor layer, wherein the p-type semiconductor layer contains silicon atoms and nitrogen atoms, which is possible to improve photoelectric conversion efficiency.

Abstract: A photoelectric conversion device comprising: a pin-type photoelectric conversion layer constituted of a p-type semiconductor layer, an i-type semiconductor layer and an n-type semiconductor layer, wherein the p-type semiconductor layer contains silicon atoms and nitrogen atoms, which is possible to improve photoelectric conversion efficiency.

Abstract: A photoelectric conversion device includes a p-type layer, an i-type layer and an n-type layer each made of a silicon base semiconductor, stacked in this order, wherein the i-type layer contains n-type impurities in a concentration of 1.0×1016 to 2.0×1017 cm?3.

Abstract: To provide a thin-film solar cell module capable of preventing damage to a cell and a contact line. A thin-film solar cell module of the present invention has a characteristic that it provides a cell module having a plurality of cell strings bidirectionally connected to each other in parallel, the cell strings each having a plurality of cells connected to each other in series via a contact line, wherein when an output from the cell module is P (W), an output from one of the cell strings is Ps (W), and an area of the contact line is Sc (cm2) under a condition of light source: xenon lamp, irradiance: 100 mW/cm2, AM: 1.5, and temperature: 25° C., (P?Ps)/Sc is 10.7 (kW/cm2) or less, Ps is 12 W or less, and P is 385 W or less.

Abstract: To provide a stacked photoelectric conversion device capable of inhibiting extreme decrease of the output in the morning and evening. A stacked photoelectric conversion device of the present invention comprises a first photoelectric conversion layer, a second photoelectric conversion layer and a third photoelectric conversion layer stacked in this order from a light entrance side, each photoelectric conversion layer having a p-i-n junction and formed of a silicon based semiconductor, wherein a short-circuit photocurrent of the first photoelectric conversion layer is larger than a short-circuit photocurrent of the second photoelectric conversion layer or a short-circuit photocurrent of the third photoelectric conversion layer under a condition of light source: xenon lamp, irradiance: 100 mW/cm2, AM: 1.5, and temperature: 25° C.

Abstract: To provide a stacked photoelectric conversion device and a method for producing the same, in which an interlayer is provided between photoelectric conversion layers to obtain an effect of controlling the amount of incidence light, and carrier recombination at an interface between the interlayer and a semiconductor layer is decreased to enhance photoelectric conversion efficiency. The stacked photoelectric conversion device of the present invention comprises a plurality of silicon-based photoelectric conversion layers having a p-i-n structure stacked, wherein at least a pair of adjacent photoelectric conversion layers have an interlayer of a silicon nitride therebetween, the pair of the photoelectric conversion layers are electrically connected with each other, and a p-type silicon-based semiconductor layer constituting a part of the photoelectric conversion layer and contacting the interlayer contains a nitrogen atom.

Abstract: A photoelectric conversion device which can improve photoelectric conversion efficiency is provided. The photoelectric conversion device of the present invention has at least one p-i-n type photoelectric conversion part which includes a first conductivity type layer, a first i-type layer, a second i-type layer and a second conductivity type layer stacked in this order, and it is characterized in that a crystallization ratio of the first i-type layer is lower than that of the second i-type layer and a change rate of a crystallization ratio in a film-thickness direction at an interface between the first i-type layer and the second i-type layer is 0.013 to 0.24 nm?1.