Abstract: A solar cell (100) comprising a semiconductor solar cell substrate (66) having a light receiving surface formed on the first major surface and generating photovoltaic power based on the light impinging on the light receiving surface, wherein the light receiving surface of the semiconductor solar cell substrate (66) is coated with a light receiving surface side insulating film (61) composed of an inorganic insulating material where the cationic component principally comprising silicon, and the light receiving surface side insulating film (61) is a low hydrogen content inorganic insulating film containing less than 10 atm % of hydrogen. A solar cell having an insulating film exhibiting excellent passivation effect insusceptible to aging can thereby be provided.

Abstract: A highly reliable thin film solar cell and a method of manufacturing the same are provided to improve bonding strength between a back-surface electrode layer and a bus bar without limiting the kind of metal film of the back-surface electrode layer. The thin film solar cell at least includes a light-transmitting insulating substrate, a transparent conductive film, a photoelectric conversion layer, and a back-surface electrode layer provided on the light-transmitting insulating substrate, and a bus bar provided on the back-surface electrode layer. The bus bar is electrically connected with the back-surface electrode layer with a conductive tape interposed whereby the back-surface electrode layer is used as a take-out electrode. The conductive tape preferably includes a thermosetting resin and a conductive particle. Furthermore, the conductive tape is preferably an anisotropic conductive tape.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method and precursor structure to form a solar cell absorber layer. The method includes electrodepositing a first layer including a film stack including at least a first film comprising copper, a second film comprising indium and a third film comprising gallium, wherein the first layer includes a first amount of copper, electrodepositing a second layer onto the first layer, the second layer including at least one of a second copper-indium-gallium-ternary alloy film, a copper-indium binary alloy film, a copper-gallium binary alloy film and a copper-selenium binary alloy film, wherein the second layer includes a second amount of copper, which is higher than the first amount of copper, and electrodepositing a third layer onto the second layer, the third layer including selenium; and reacting the precursor stack to form an absorber layer on the base.

Abstract: A method of fabricating a solar cell includes: sequentially forming a first electrode and a first impurity-doped semiconductor layer on a transparent substrate; forming a first intrinsic semiconductor layer on the first impurity-doped semiconductor layer; heating the first intrinsic semiconductor layer to form a second intrinsic semiconductor layer; and sequentially forming a second impurity-doped semiconductor layer and a second electrode on the second intrinsic semiconductor layer.

Abstract: The present invention provides a dye-sensitized photoelectric conversion element module, such as a dye-sensitized solar cell module, which can be structured so as to be lightweight, thin and flexible, and with which a high electric power generation efficiency can be obtained, and a method of manufacturing the same. In a dye-sensitized photoelectric conversion element module having a plurality of dye-sensitized photoelectric conversion elements on a supporting base material, a filmy glass substrate 1 having a thickness of 0.2 mm or less is used as the supporting base material, and a resin system protective film 9, 11 having a size equal to or larger than that of the filmy glass substrate 1 is bonded to at least one surface of the dye-sensitized photoelectric conversion element module.

Abstract: A semiconductor radiation detector crystal is patterned by using a Q-switched laser to selectively remove material from a surface of said semiconductor radiation detector crystal, thus producing a groove in said surface that penetrates deeper than the thickness of a diffused layer on said surface.

Abstract: A method for fabricating a solar cell is described. The method includes first providing, in a process chamber, a substrate having a light-receiving surface. An anti-reflective coating (ARC) layer is then formed, in the process chamber, above the light-receiving surface of the substrate. Finally, without removing the substrate from the process chamber, a protection layer is formed above the ARC layer.

Abstract: A dye-sensitized photoelectric conversion device is formed by sequentially arranging a dye-sensitized semiconductor layer (3), a porous insulating layer (4) and a counter electrode (5) on a transparent conductive layer (2) which is formed on a transparent substrate (1). The counter electrode (5) is composed of a metal or alloy foil having a catalyst layer on one surface which is on the porous insulating layer (4) side, or a foil made of a material having a catalytic activity. At a position between two adjacent dye-sensitized photoelectric conversion devices, the transparent conductive layer (2) of one dye-sensitized photoelectric conversion device and the counter electrode (5) of the other dye-sensitized photoelectric conversion device are electrically connected with each other. The dye-sensitized semiconductor layer (3) and the porous insulating layer (4) are impregnated with an electrolyte. Each dye-sensitized photoelectric conversion device is covered with a sealing layer (7).

Abstract: A CMOS image sensor and a method of fabricating the same are provided. The image sensor includes a blocking layer protecting a photodiode at a diode region. The blocking layer is formed to cover a top of the diode region and extended to an active region so as to cover a transfer gate and a floating diffusion layer. Therefore, the floating diffusion layer may not be attacked by an etching during a formation of sidewall spacers of various gates or by ion implantation during a formation of a junction region of a DDD or LDD structure, thus reducing a leakage current and a dark current at the floating diffusion layer.

Abstract: An image sensor and a method for fabricating the same are provided. The image sensor includes a first conductive type substrate including a trench formed in a predetermined portion of the first conductive type substrate, a second conductive type impurity region for use in a photodiode, formed below a bottom surface of the trench in the first conductive type substrate, and a first conductive type epitaxial layer for use in the photodiode, buried in the trench.

Abstract: A CMOS image sensor includes isolation regions and a photo diode region formed in a substrate, gate electrodes formed on the substrate, impurity injection regions formed in the substrate respectively positioned between the gate electrodes and the isolation regions, silicide regions formed on upper surfaces of the gate electrodes and the impurity injection regions, a first insulating layer formed on a surface of the photodiode region and sides of the gate electrodes, a second insulating layer formed on the first insulating layer, a third insulating layer formed on the second insulating layer, an interlayer insulating layer formed to cover the third insulating layer, and via plugs vertically passing through the interlayer insulating layer and connected to the silicide regions.

Abstract: A method for the production of a contact structure of a solar cell allows p-contacts and n-contacts to be produced simultaneously.

Abstract: A semiconductor photodetector device (PD1) comprises a multilayer structure (LS1) and a glass substrate (1) optically transparent to incident light. The multilayer structure includes an etching stop layer (2), an n-type high-concentration carrier layer (3), an n-type light-absorbing layer (5), and an n-type cap layer (7) which are laminated. A photodetecting region (9) is formed near a first main face (101) of the multilayer structure, whereas a first electrode (21) is provided on the first main face. A second electrode (27) and a third electrode (31) are provided on a second main face (102). A film (10) covering the photodetecting region and first electrode is formed on the first main face. A glass substrate (1) is secured to the front face (10a) of this film.

Abstract: The present invention provides a front-illuminated avalanche photodiode (APD) with improved intrinsic responsivity, as well as a method of fabricating such a front-illuminated APD. The front-illuminated APD comprises an APD body of semiconductor material, which includes a substrate and a layer stack disposed on a front surface of the substrate. The layer stack includes an absorption layer, a multiplication layer, and a field-control layer. Advantageously, a back surface of the APD body is mechanically and chemically polished, and a reflector having a reflectance of greater than 90% at the absorption wavelength band is disposed on the back surface of the APD body. Thus, incident light that is not absorbed in a first pass through the absorption layer is reflected by the reflector for a second pass through the absorption layer, increasing the intrinsic responsivity of the front-illuminated APD.

Abstract: The objective of this invention is to provide a type of photodiode and the method of manufacturing the photodiode characterized by the fact that it has a higher photoelectric conversion efficiency (sensitivity) than that in the prior art. PIN photodiode 100 has a p-type silicon substrate, p-type silicon layer 112, n-type silicon layer 114 formed on p-type silicon layer 112 and having a junction plane with silicon layer 112, n-type low-resistance silicon region 116 that is formed to a prescribed depth from the surface of silicon layer 114 and has an impurity concentration higher than that of silicon layer 114, silicon oxide film 120 formed on silicon region 116, and silicon nitride film 122 formed on silicon oxide film 120.

Abstract: A method for photo-detecting and an apparatus for the same are provided. The apparatus for photo-detecting includes a first P-N diode and a second P-N diode. The first P-N diode, has a first P-N junction which has a first thickness, by which a first electrical signal is generated when irradiated by light, and the second P-N diode has a second P-N junction which has a second thickness, by which a second electrical signal is generated when irradiated by light. The second thickness is larger than the first thickness and an operation of the first electrical signal and the second electrical signal is proceeded for obtaining a third electrical signal.

Abstract: A detector is disclosed, including at least one scintillator and at least one photodiode, connected to one another by a connecting medium. The scintillator has a defined depression for holding the connecting medium on its side facing the photodiode in such a way that the visible light produced by the scintillator is focused in the direction of the photodiode. The detector is provided for an imaging X-ray unit, for example a computed tomography unit.

Abstract: A method and structure for providing a high energy implant in only the red pixel location of a CMOS image sensor. The implant increases the photon collection depth for the red pixels, which in turn increases the quantum efficiency for the red pixels. In one embodiment, a CMOS image sensor is formed on an p-type substrate and the high energy implant is a p-type implant that creates a p-type ground contact under the red pixel, thus reducing dark non-uniformity effects. In another embodiment, a CMOS image sensor is formed on an n-type substrate and a high energy p-type implant creates a p-type region under only the red pixel to increase photon collection depth, which in turn increases the quantum efficiency for the red pixels.

Abstract: A semiconductor radiation detector crystal is patterned by using a Q-switched laser to selectively remove material from a surface of said semiconductor radiation detector crystal, thus producing a groove in said surface that penetrates deeper than the thickness of a diffused layer on said surface.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are a semiconductor package used in digital optical instruments and a method of manufacturing the same. The semiconductor package comprises a wafer made of a silicon material and having pad electrodes formed at one side surface thereof, an IR filter attached on the pad electrodes of the wafer by means of a bonding agent, terminals electrically connected to the pad electrodes, respectively, in via holes formed at the other side surface of the wafer, which is opposite to the pad electrodes, and bump electrodes, each of which is connected to one side of each of the terminals. The present invention is capable of minimizing the size of a semiconductor package having an image sensor, which is referred to as a complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) or a charge coupled device (CCD), through the application of a wafer level package technology, thereby reducing the manufacturing costs of the semiconductor package and accomplishing production on a large scale.

Abstract: Disclosed is an image sensor and method of fabricating the same. The image sensor includes a photoelectric transformation region formed in a semiconductor substrate, and pluralities of interlayer dielectric films formed over the photoelectric transformation regions. The interlayer dielectric films contain multilevel interconnection layers. A color filter layer is disposed in a well region formed in the interlayer dielectric films over the photoelectric transformation region. A passivation layer is interposed between the color filter layer and the interlayer dielectric films.

Abstract: Provided are a CMOS image sensor in which microlenses are formed in a remaining space in a patterned light shielding layer to improve image sensor characteristics and to protect the microlenses during packaging, and a method of fabricating the same. The CMOS image sensor may include: a semiconductor substrate; at least one photodiode on or in the semiconductor substrate; a first insulating layer on the substrate including the photodiode(s); a plurality of metal lines on and/or in the first insulating layer; a second insulating layer on the first insulating layer including at least some of the metal lines; a patterned light shielding layer on the second insulating layer; and microlenses in a remaining space on the second insulating layer.

Abstract: An image sensor and a method for fabricating the same are disclosed, in which an impurity implantation layer having a predetermined thickness is formed on a source diffusion layer, thereby controlling a substantial contact point between a contact plug and the source diffusion layer upward from a surface of a semiconductor substrate. As a result, it is possible to minimize a length of an open hole, which is a main channel of the contact plug, so that the open hole has the sufficiently large size, thereby inducing the improvement of the contact quality between the contact plug and the source diffusion layer. Also, in case of the CMOS image sensor, in state the impurity implantation layer having the impurity selectively implanted is formed on the source diffusion layer, the impurity implantation layer is electrically connected with the source diffusion layer.

Abstract: An image sensor and a method of manufacturing a CMOS image sensor in which a high-temperature annealing is conducted without causing cracking in a passivation layer. The method may include forming a first passivation insulating layer on and/or over a semiconductor substrate including a metal pad and a plurality of metal wirings; performing a sintering process on the first passivation insulating layer in a hydrogen atmosphere; forming a second passivation insulating layer on and/or over the first passivation insulating layer; and performing an etching process using a photoresist pattern on the second passivation insulating layer to expose the uppermost surface of the metal pad.

Abstract: A semiconductor photodetector device (PD1) comprises a multilayer structure (LS1) and a glass substrate (1) optically transparent to incident light. The multilayer structure includes an etching stop layer (2), an n-type high-concentration carrier layer (3), an n-type light-absorbing layer (5), and an n-type cap layer (7) which are laminated. A photodetecting region (9) is formed near a first main face (101) of the multilayer structure, whereas a first electrode (21) is provided on the first main face. A second electrode (27) and a third electrode (31) are provided on a second main face (102). A film (10) covering the photodetecting region and first electrode is formed on the first main face. A glass substrate (1) is secured to the front face (10a) of this film.

Abstract: An interline transfer type image sensing device that can be operated at high speed and with low image smear is described. The device incorporates a refractory metal layer which is used for both a light shield over the vertical charge transfer region and as a wiring layer for low resistance strapping of poly crystalline silicon (polysilicon) gate electrodes for the vertical charge transfer region. Plugs provided by a separate metallization layer connect the refractory light shield to the polysilicon gate electrode. These plugs allow high temperature processing after refractory light shield patterning for improved sensor performance without degradation of the polysilicon gate electrode or the refractory lightshield layer.