MULTILAYER THIN-FILM PHOTOELECTRIC CONVERTER AND ITS MANUFACTURING METHOD

摘要

A multilayer thin-film photoelectric converter having a high conversion characteristic which can be manufactured at a low cost with a high productivity. The multilayer thin-film photoelectric converter includes a transparent conductive layer, a laser light absorption layer, a rear surface electrode layer, a semiconductor photoelectric conversion layer, and a transparent electrode layer, which are formed in this order on a translucent substrate. The laser light absorption layer is divided into a plurality of regions by division line grooves of a first kind, and the photoelectric conversion layer is divided into a plurality of photoelectric conversion regions by division line grooves of a third kind which extend through the laser light absorption layer, the rear surface electrode layer, and the photoelectric conversion layer. The transparent electrode layer is divided into a plurality of transparent electrode regions by division line grooves of a fourth kind which extend through the laser light absorption layer, the rear surface electrode layer, the photoelectric conversion layer, and the transparent electrode layer. Between adjacent photoelectric conversion cells, the rear surface electrode region of one of the cells is electrically connected to that of the other cell via the division line grooves of the first kind, the transparent conductive layer, and the division line grooves of the third kind. In example 1, the rear surface electrode layer is divided into a plurality of rear surface electrode regions by division line grooves of a second kind which extend through the transparent conductive layer, the laser light absorption layer, and the rear surface electrode layer.