Photoelectric conversion device and manufacturing method thereof

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.

1 . A photoelectric conversion device comprising:
 a substrate;   a first photoelectric conversion layer placed over the substrate,   a second photoelectric conversion layer placed over the first photoelectric conversion layer,   each of the photoelectric conversion layers constituted of a p-type semiconductor layer containing silicon atoms, an i-type semiconductor layer containing silicon atoms and an n-type semiconductor layer in this order from the substrate side,   at least one of the photoelectric conversion layers including a p-type semiconductor layer containing nitrogen atoms at a concentration of 0.001 to 10 atomic %; and   an open-circuit voltage of the photoelectric conversion device being over 1.4V.   
     
     
         2 . The photoelectric conversion device according to  claim 1 , wherein the p-type semiconductor layer containing the nitrogen atoms at a concentration of 0.001 to 10 atomic % is included in the second photoelectric conversion layer. 
     
     
         3 . The photoelectric conversion device according to  claim 1 , wherein the p-type semiconductor layer containing the nitrogen atoms at a concentration of 0.001 to 10 atomic % is included in the first photoelectric conversion layer. 
     
     
         4 . The photoelectric conversion device according to  claim 2 , wherein the p-type semiconductor layer of the second photoelectric conversion layer contains silicon atoms as a crystalline silicon phase. 
     
     
         5 . The photoelectric conversion device according to  claim 4 , wherein the i-type semiconductor layer the second photoelectric conversion layer contains silicon atoms as a crystalline silicon phase. 
     
     
         6 . The photoelectric conversion device according to  claim 5 , wherein the i-type semiconductor of the first photoelectric conversion layer is composed of amorphous silicon. 
     
     
         7 . A photoelectric conversion device comprising:
 a substrate; and   a pin-type photoelectric conversion layer placed over the substrate, constituted of a p-type semiconductor layer containing silicon atoms, an i-type semiconductor layer containing silicon atoms and an n-type semiconductor layer in this order from the substrate side;   the p-type semiconductor layer comprising a first p-type semiconductor region and a second p-type semiconductor region in this order from the substrate side,   the first p-type semiconductor region of the p-type semiconductor layer containing nitrogen atoms and the second p-type semiconductor region of the p-type semiconductor layer containing no nitrogen atoms or substantially less nitrogen atoms than the nitrogen atoms of the first p-type semiconductor region.   
     
     
         8 . The photoelectric conversion device according to  claim 7 , wherein the first p-type semiconductor region contains the nitrogen atoms at a concentration of 0.5 to 10 atomic %. 
     
     
         9 . The photoelectric conversion device according to  claim 7 , wherein the second p-type semiconductor region contains silicon atoms as a crystalline silicon phase. 
     
     
         10 . The photoelectric conversion device according to  claim 7 , wherein the first p-type semiconductor region is composed of amorphous silicon phase or contains atoms as a crystalline silicon phase. 
     
     
         11 . A photoelectric conversion device comprising:
 a substrate;   a pin-type photoelectric conversion layer placed over the substrate, constituted of a p-type semiconductor layer, an i-type semiconductor layer and an n-type semiconductor layer in this order from the substrate side,   the p-type semiconductor layer and the i-type semiconductor layer each containing silicon atoms as a crystalline silicon phase, and   the p-type semiconductor layer containing the nitrogen atoms at a concentration of 0.001 to 10 atomic %; and   an open-circuit voltage of the photoelectric conversion device being over 0.5V.   
     
     
         12 . The photoelectric conversion device according to  claim 11 , wherein the p-type semiconductor layer contains nitrogen atoms at a concentration of 0.01 to 10 atomic %. 
     
     
         13 . The photoelectric conversion device according to  claim 11 , wherein the n-type semiconductor layer contains nitrogen atoms at a concentration of 0.001 to 10 atomic %. 
     
     
         14 . The photoelectric conversion device according to  claim 11 , wherein the n-type semiconductor layer contains nitrogen atoms at a concentration of 0.01 to 10 atomic %. 
     
     
         15 . The photoelectric conversion device according to  claim 11 , wherein the s-type semiconductor layer has a first n-type semiconductor layer, containing silicon atoms as a crystalline silicon phase, and a second n-type semiconductor layer, containing nitrogen atoms at a concentration of 4 to 10 atomic %, in this order from the substrate side. 
     
     
         16 . The photoelectric conversion device according to  claim 11 , wherein the n-type semiconductor layer contains silicon atoms as a crystalline silicon phase.