IP Library Granted Patent US 8,558,341
Granted Patent B2
US 8,558,341 · App. 13/323,924 · Granted Oct 15, 2013

Photoelectric conversion element

Inventors: Koichiro Tanaka (Kanagawa, JP); Fumito Isaka (Kanagawa, JP); Jiro Nishida (Kanagawa, JP)
Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,558,341
App. No.
13/323,924
Granted
Oct 15, 2013
Kind
B2
Abstract

An object is to provide a photoelectric conversion element with high conversion efficiency. In a photoelectric conversion element with a fine periodic structure on a light-receiving surface side, focus is given to the traveling direction of light that is reflected off another surface. The photoelectric conversion element may be given a structure in which a textured structure that reflects light to the other surface is provided, and light that travels from the light-receiving surface side to the other surface side is reflected so that a component that travels along the photoelectric conversion layer increases. By the distance traveled by the reflected light inside the photoelectric conversion layer increasing, the light that enters the photoelectric conversion element is more easily absorbed by the photoelectric conversion layer and less easily released from the light-receiving surface side, and a photoelectric conversion element with high conversion efficiency can be provided.

Claims (17)

1. A photoelectric conversion element comprising:

a photoelectric conversion layer;

a fine periodic structure over a first surface of the photoelectric conversion layer;

a micro-texture structure beneath a second surface of the photoelectric conversion layer; and

a reflective electrode beneath the micro-texture structure,

wherein the fine periodic structure comprises microstructures with an aspect ratio of 3 or more and 15 or less with a period of 60 nm or more and 500 nm or less,

wherein the micro-texture structure comprises structures with an aspect ratio of 0.5 or more and 3 or less with a period of 2 μm or more and 100 μm or less, and

wherein the reflective electrode has reflectivity of 10% or more and less than 100%.

2. The photoelectric conversion element according to claim 1 , wherein 10% or more and 99% or less of incident light with a light wavelength contributing to photoelectric conversion reaches the reflective electrode.

3. The photoelectric conversion element according to claim 1 ,

wherein the micro-texture structure has a surface that forms an angle of 8° or more and less than 45° or 49° or more and less than 90° with respect to the first surface of the photoelectric conversion layer.

4. The photoelectric conversion element according to claim 1 ,

wherein the fine periodic structure comprises a semiconductor with a first conductivity type; and the micro-texture structure comprises a semiconductor with a second conductivity type opposite the first conductivity type.

5. The photoelectric conversion element according to claim 1 ,

wherein the photoelectric conversion layer comprises a single crystal silicon substrate; and the micro-texture structure has a surface along a crystal orientation of the single crystal silicon substrate.

6. The photoelectric conversion element according to claim 1 ,

wherein the fine periodic structure is formed over the first surface of the photoelectric conversion layer by attaching a film over the photoelectric conversion layer.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 23, 2012
From: TANAKA, KOICHIRO; ISAKA, FUMITO; NISHIDA, JIRO
To: SEMICONDUCTOR ENERGY LABORATORY CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 027573/0890 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2010-282126 · Dec 17, 2010 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20120153416A1 · Jun 21, 2012