AMPHOROUS SEMICONDUCTORS

摘要

Method of making a semiconductor film comprising a solid amorphous semiconductor host matrix including at least one element and having electronic configurations having an energy gap and localised states, comprises depositing on a substrate a matrix including at least one element by glow discharge decomposition of a cpd. contg. at least one element and one alterant element. The deposition is effected in a partial vacuum having an atmos. separately contg. at least one alterant element not derived from the cpd. Specifically, at least one of the alterant elements is incorporated in the matrix during deposition yielding an altered amorphous semiconductor with altered electronic configurations with a reduced density of localised states in the energy gap. Amorphous semiconductor Si solar cells can be prepared with an efficiency approaching that of monocrystalline Si solar cells at a much lower cost.