JPH09312411A - Optoelectronic device, manufacture thereof, and information recording and/or reproducing device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To obtain an efficient arrangement constitution by a method wherein a plurality of optoelectronic elements and a cover, having transparent outside surface and positioned opposing to the above-mentioned elements, are provided in an optoelectronic device, and a spacer is arranged between the transparent cover and the optoelectronic elements. SOLUTION: A number of optoelectronic elements 1 are arranged on a glass substrate 8, and they are housed in a casing together with a cover 9. Also, the elements 1 are formed on an N-type silicon semiconductor substrate 2, consisting of single crystal silicon, in such a manner that a P-type silicon semiconductor layer 3, which forms a light-receiving surface 1a, is P-N junctioned, and the outer surface of the elements 1 is coated by an SiO insulating film 4. On the side of the glass substrate 8, electrodes 15a and 15b are connected to a wiring 16 using the conductive bonding agent such as silver paste etc. A number of protruding parts 10, which become spacers, are provided between the elements 1 and the light transmitting cover 9, the gap C between the elements 1 and the light transmitting cover 9 is constantly maintained, and their deformation is prevented.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an optoelectronic device (for example, a photoelectric conversion element such as a solar cell which can be used as a power source for a portable computer, a portable radio, etc. and an apparatus incorporating the same) and a manufacturing method thereof. , And an information recording and / or reproducing apparatus.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Various electronic devices utilizing photoelectric conversion elements such as solar cells have been put to practical use in various office supplies such as portable calculators, portable radios, wrist watches and home electric appliances. These devices are provided with a photoelectric conversion function unit including a solar cell, which converts light energy incident from the outside into electric energy and generates electric energy for power supply.

FIG. 15 shows a unit of a general solar cell (hereinafter,
It is called a unit element or element. ) 33 is a cross-sectional view of a main part showing an example. According to the structure, in each unit element, the low resistance N ⁺ type silicon semiconductor layer 2b is formed on the N type silicon semiconductor substrate 2a, and the P ⁺ type silicon semiconductor layer 3 is formed so as to form a PN junction with the semiconductor substrate 2a. Is formed,
The surface of the insulating film 4 is covered with an insulating film 4 made of SiO _2, and electrodes 5a and 5b are attached to the contact holes of the insulating film 4. Then, a large number of such elements are assembled, and the respective elements are electrically connected by the wiring 6 to form a solar cell module.

In this solar cell, as shown in the drawing, an incident light L from the outside is incident from the light receiving surface 33a to generate photocarriers inside the element, and a current resulting from this is externally transmitted through electrodes and wiring. Can be stored in a secondary battery.

When single crystal silicon is used as a material for a solar cell, its photoelectric conversion efficiency is as high as about 20% (theoretically, it is said to be 29% at maximum), which is suitable for equipment requiring power. Is. In addition, a solar cell using amorphous silicon has a photoelectric conversion efficiency of about 12% when the light receiving surface is small and about 8% when the light receiving surface is large.
It is. There are also solar cells using cadmium-tellurium or gallium-arsenic.

The elements 33 configured as described above have various sizes. For example, a large number of square elements each having a size of several mm are arranged in a matrix on a common substrate. As shown in FIGS. 16 and 18, the electrodes 5a and 5b are connected in series by the wiring 6, and the upper part thereof is covered with a translucent cover 9, and is fixed to a casing (neither is shown) by a frame body so that the sun It constitutes the battery 35.

FIG. 17 (a) shows an example of a desktop or portable computer 30 using the above-mentioned solar cell 35 as a power source, and includes a keyboard section 31 and a display section.
32 is a general one provided. The solar cell 35 is arranged so that the light receiving surface 33a faces the window 36 provided at the end of the computer 30.

The window 36 is provided with a cover 9 made of resin such as transparent plastic to protect the solar cell 35 from damage. However, solar cells occupy a large part of the product, and since it is necessary to expose the light receiving surface of the solar cell to the surface that is easily exposed to light, we have struggled with efficient arrangement of solar cells so far. Is the current situation.

Therefore, for example, there has been proposed a method for solving the above-mentioned problems by, for example, forming a pattern of an arbitrary shape in an arbitrary color on the surface of the solar cell to enhance the design value of the solar cell ( JP-A-56-30770
Issue, Dosho 58-63180, Dosho 60-116252
No. 61-161791, Sho-62-19265
No. 5, 62-279681, 63-3387
No. 2, Dohei 6-37343, etc.).

FIG. 17 (b) is an enlarged view of a part of the window portion 36 of FIG. 17 (a). As shown in the figure, the elements 33 constituting the solar cell 35 are, for example, the element group 33A and the element group 33.
B is divided into different color patterns, for example group 33
The letter pattern "ETL" by A can be observed from the outside.

In such color patterning, interference of reflected light of incident light occurs by changing the thickness of the insulating film 4 for each group, and the interference color using this can be observed as a pattern. This is a well-known method (which will be described later), but this method allows, for example, a unique pattern or letters, the name of the manufacturer of the device, etc. to be displayed in a color pattern. Can be improved and advertising effect can be realized.

However, in an electronic device using such a solar cell 35, the external pressure P such that the user's finger touches the window portion 36 or the entire portion is bent while being carried or used.
18 and 19 may be added (FIG. 18 is a partial sectional view showing the state, and FIG. 19 is an enlarged view showing a part of FIG. 18).

That is, as shown in FIG. 18, for example, a large number of elements 33 as shown in FIG. 16 are arranged and fixed on a glass substrate 8, and a translucent resin is provided on the opposite side (light receiving side) from the fixed surface. The cover 9 is provided to protect the light-receiving surface 33a, but there is only a slight gap C between the cover 9 and the element 33 as clearly shown in FIG. As a result, the cover 9 is bent toward the element 33 side as shown by an imaginary line.

Such a bending easily occurs because the cover 9 is flexible, and when it is repeated, the cover 9 loses its flatness and is deformed into a recess, which comes into contact with the element 33. There is also. As a result, interference with the cover 9 is newly generated and, for example, “E” as described above formed on the element 33 is formed.
The color pattern display of "TL" may be blurred, faded, or disappear, and not only the appearance of almost monotonous color tone may be exhibited, but also the deformed cover 9 may damage the element 33. there were.

With this, the design value of the intended solar cell cannot be increased.

[0016]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned circumstances, and allows the device such as the above-described solar cell to exhibit its original performance and desired design value. It is an object of the present invention to provide an optoelectronic device, a method for manufacturing the optoelectronic device, and an information recording and / or reproducing device that can fully realize the above.

[0017]

As a result of intensive studies to achieve the above-mentioned object, the present inventor found an effective means for solving the above-mentioned drawbacks of the prior art, Has reached.

That is, according to the present invention, a plurality of optoelectronic elements (for example, solar cell unit elements: hereinafter the same).
And a translucent cover on the outer surface side facing these elements (for example, a resin cover: the same applies below), and a spacer (for example, a translucent element) between the translucent cover and the optoelectronic element. Convex part provided integrally with the cover:
The present invention relates to an optoelectronic device (for example, a solar cell device: hereinafter the same) in which the same) are arranged, and an information recording and / or reproducing device such as a radio receiver having the same on the outer surface side.

Further, the present invention has a plurality of optoelectronic elements and a translucent cover on an outer surface side facing these elements, and a spacer is arranged between the translucent cover and the optoelectronic element. The present invention relates to a method of manufacturing an optoelectronic device, wherein the spacer is formed integrally with the translucent cover when manufacturing the optoelectronic device.

The above-mentioned "optoelectronic device" is not limited to a device such as a solar cell described later, but is a concept including a device product incorporating the device.

According to the present invention, since the optoelectronic device has the spacer between the light-transmitting cover and the element, the light-transmitting cover may be deformed toward the element due to external pressure during use. Even in this case, the spacer can prevent the deformation, and the gap between the both can be maintained.

As a result, the pattern on the element side as described can be observed at all times, and the intended design value can be enhanced. In addition, the translucent cover allows the incident light (or the emitted light) of the element to be effectively transmitted and can be sufficiently exerted without impairing the original performance of the element.

Conventionally, a solar cell has been used in a wristwatch, and "the beads are arranged so as to contact each other by providing beads on the light-receiving surface side of the solar cell, or the surface of the solar cell is covered so that the solar cell is covered. There is a known technique of making the "invisible", but this is completely different from the object of the present invention. That is, the present invention is for making the color of the solar cell side in the module visible to the outside, and for this purpose, it is necessary to maintain the gap between the cover and the element by the spacer as in the present invention. On the other hand, the above-mentioned conventional technique does not require such measures.

[0024]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION A device and a method for manufacturing the same according to the present invention have a plurality of photoelectric conversion elements and a flexible light-transmitting cover on the outermost surface side facing these elements,
It is desirable that a spacer is arranged between the flexible translucent cover and the photoelectric conversion element.

It is desirable that the plurality of optoelectronic elements described above are electrically connected to each other on the support substrate, and the spacer is made of a material having a hardness lower than that of the optoelectronic element.

In this case, a flexible transparent cover is provided on the light receiving surface side of the photoelectric conversion element, and the flexible transparent cover and the spacer are made of the same material (for example, resin). Is desirable.

Further, it is desirable that a large number of spacers are formed by concavities and convexities (for example, scattered as island-shaped convex portions) between the flexible light-transmitting cover and the spacers.

It is desirable that a predetermined element among the plurality of optoelectronic elements described above is formed so as to externally exhibit a pattern due to light interference.

For this purpose, it is preferable that the spacers are formed integrally with the translucent cover, and the distance between the adjacent spacers is several times or less the thickness of the translucent cover.

Further, a plurality of translucent covers may be provided, and a flexible cover among these covers may be provided with a spacer.

A predetermined pattern may be printed on the optoelectronic element, or a predetermined pattern may be printed on the translucent cover, but the printing is performed by a translucent material. Is desirable.

In order to manufacture the above device, the spacer may be formed integrally with the translucent cover by press molding, or the spacer is formed by spraying the spacer material onto the translucent cover. May be.

By providing the optoelectronic device configured as described above on the outer surface side, an information recording and / or reproducing device, for example, a thin radio receiver or an IC card can be configured.

[0034]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Embodiments of the present invention will be described below, but it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments.

FIG. 1 is a partial sectional view of a solar cell according to the first embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view showing a part of FIG.

As shown in FIG. 1, the solar cell 11 of the present embodiment is provided with a group of a large number of unit elements 1 electrically connected to each other on a glass substrate 8 and, on top of this, as a spacer. A translucent resin cover 9 is provided through a large number of island-shaped protrusions 10.

Each element 1 has a square shape of 4 mm square and is connected in series on the surface of the glass substrate 8 and constitutes a solar cell 11 housed in a casing (not shown) together with the cover 9.

As shown in FIG. 2, the element 1 is formed by forming a P-type silicon semiconductor layer 3 forming a light-receiving surface 1a in a PN junction on an N-type silicon semiconductor substrate 2 made of single crystal silicon, and also forming an outer surface of the element. Is covered with an insulating film 4 made of SiO ₂ . Then, on the glass substrate 8 side, the electrode
The elements 15a-15b are connected to the wiring 16 via a conductive adhesive 7 such as silver paste, so that the elements 1-1 are connected in series with each other.

For example, a translucent cover 9 made of polystyrene is provided on the group of the elements 1, and the projection 10 integrally formed with the cover 9 serves as a spacer, and the tip thereof is the light receiving surface 1a of the element 1. To substantially keep the gap C between the element 1 and the cover 9 substantially constant. In this case, the cover 9 does not necessarily have to be transparent, and may be semi-transparent as long as the base can be seen, may be clouded or colored, and may be translucent. For example, other than polystyrene, polyethylene, polyethylene terephthalate, fluororesin, or the like can be used.

As described above, this embodiment is characterized in that the gap C between the element 1 and the cover 9 is kept substantially constant by the convex portion 10 provided on the back surface (light receiving surface 1a side) of the cover 9. And the electrode 15a on the opposite side of the light receiving surface 1a,
Another feature is that 15b is provided and these are connected on the substrate 8.

As a result, for example, as described with reference to FIGS. 18 and 19, even if the external pressure P is applied to the cover 9 of the solar cell 11 to deform the cover 9, this is prevented by the convex portion 10 as a spacer. Therefore, the gap between the element 1 and the cover 9 is always kept constant.

In this case, it is necessary to prevent the cover 9 deformed between the convex portions 10-10 from contacting the element 1. For this purpose, the distance d between the convex portions 10 in FIG. It is necessary to be several times or less than the thickness t of 9 and the height of the convex portion 10 is preferably smaller than the thickness t of the cover 9. In addition, it is desirable that the light receiving surface 1a is sufficiently secured and the light L is efficiently incident on the light receiving surface 1a so as not to hinder the light receiving efficiency of the light, by disposing the convex portion 10 in this manner.

In this way, since the cover 9 can be prevented from being deformed and the gap C can be maintained, the color pattern on the element 1 side can be clearly observed. That is, as shown in FIG. 2, in this embodiment, for a specific element 1A, for example, the thickness t ₂ of the insulating film 4 is made thinner than the others t ₁ , and a desired pattern is formed by this group of elements 1A. The color pattern can be displayed by using the interference color of the light formed by the formation.

That is, the light L which passes through the cover 9 and is incident
As shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B, the light is absorbed from the light receiving surface 1a of the element 1 to generate a photocurrent, but on the cover 9 side, the light is reflected by the light receiving surface 1a and the insulating film 4, respectively. The interference of the reflected light of the light L with L ₁ and L ₂ allows the interference color to be observed in a pattern.

As shown in FIG. 2, the interference color causes the thickness t ₂ of the insulating film 4 of the element 1A on the light receiving surface 1a of each element 1 constituting the solar cell 11 to be different from that of the other element 1. convex (such interference color, can be produced by changing the material of the insulating film 4.) that the insulating film occurs due to a thickness smaller than the thickness t ₁ of the in but, provided on the back surface of the cover 9 Since the gap between the cover 9 and the element 1 is kept constant by the portion 10, the above interference color pattern can be always observed, and the intended design value can be enhanced.

Moreover, the light-transmitting cover 9 effectively transmits the incident light L to the element and makes it sufficiently incident on the element 1.
It can be fully exerted without impairing its original performance.

That is, the design value of the solar cell can be fully realized, the commercial value of the product can be remarkably increased, and at the same time, the solar cell, which occupies a large proportion of the product, can be easily exposed to light. The problem of exposing the light receiving surface can be solved at once.

The cover 9 has transparency and weather resistance, and can effectively protect the element 1. Further, since the convex portion 10 is made of a material such as resin having a hardness lower than that of the element 1, even when the convex portion 10 contacts the element 1, the element 1 is damaged due to the buffering effect of the convex portion 10. I will not receive it.

Next, an example of the method of manufacturing the solar cell according to this embodiment will be briefly described.

FIG. 4 shows the convex portion 10 of the cover 9 according to this embodiment.
FIG. 7 is a schematic view showing a step of integrally molding with a cover 9 by a press.

That is, FIG. 4 (a) shows a state immediately before press molding, for example, in which the molding material 9A is placed or poured onto the lower mold 14B having the recess 14a and the upper mold 14A is positioned above the molding material 9A. There is. As shown in FIG. 4B, the convex portion 10 is integrally formed on the material 9A obtained by pressing the upper mold 14A in the direction of the arrow to form the cover 9. Such covers are
It can be produced by a mold such as injection molding other than press molding. Distance between convex parts 10 = 5 mm, width = 0.2 mm, height T
= 0.1mm (hereinafter the same).

FIG. 5 is a sectional view schematically showing the step of forming the convex portion 10 on the cover 9 by spraying.

That is, FIG. 5 (a) shows an opening for the material 9A.
A situation is shown in which a mask 17 having 17a is hung and a material of the same material as the material 9A is sprayed as shown by an arrow. By this spraying, the convex portion 10 can be formed as shown in FIG. 5B.

The convex portion 10 of the cover 9 according to the present embodiment is not limited to the above-described press-molding and spraying methods, but may be screen-printed with a mask having openings similar to those shown in FIG. 5, for example. Alternatively, it may be formed by injection molding in which a melted material is injected into a mold or adhesion of the convex portion 10.

FIG. 6 is a cross sectional view schematically showing a part of the manufacturing process of the other part of the solar cell 11.

That is, as shown in FIG. 6A, the glass substrate 8
The wiring 6 having a predetermined pattern is formed on the upper surface, and then the wiring 6
As shown in (b), the silver paste 7 is arranged on the wiring 6 in a predetermined pattern, and the electrodes 15a and 15b of the separately manufactured elements 1 and 1 are manufactured.
As shown in FIG. 6C, the wiring 6 is formed through the silver pastes 7, 7.
Glue to Further, as shown in FIG. 6D, the convex portion 10 of the cover 9 separately manufactured as described above is placed on the element 1 with the element side facing.

In the photoelectric conversion element module according to this embodiment, as described above, the gap between the element 1 and the cover 9 is a convex portion.
Since it is always kept constant via 10, the cover 9 will not be deformed even if pressure is applied to the light receiving surface while being carried or used. Therefore, a desired color tone using the interference color initially set can be obtained. Can be maintained.

On the other hand, for comparison, a module having the same structure as that of this embodiment except that the convex portion 10 was not provided on the back surface of the cover 9 was prepared.

The respective modules of this example and the comparative example were arranged side by side, and an external pressure was applied to examine the color tone and the like of the photoelectric conversion element module. Regarding the color tone, the initial clear state could be maintained. On the other hand, in the case of the comparative example, the color tone was almost monotonic as compared with the initial color tone.

FIG. 7 and FIG. 8 show a concrete application example of the module of this embodiment described above. FIG. 7 shows an example of a card-type portable radio, and FIG. 8 shows an example of an IC card, which are manufactured by the same process as the solar cell according to the present embodiment.

First, the card type portable radio 18 shown in FIG. 7 has a case having a switch 22, a tuning adjusting knob 23, a volume adjusting knob 24, and an earphone 26 provided at the tip of a lead wire 25 (details such as a speaker are shown in the drawing). The light receiving window 19 is provided in (omitted), and the solar cell 20 including the module of the above-described element 1 is provided inside the light receiving window 19 for power supply, and may be called a solar radio.

In this case, the solar cell 20 is composed of a group of a large number of elements 21 arranged in a matrix, and this group of elements 21 is an element group 21B and an element group showing an interference color different from this. It is composed of 21A, for example, and represents the character "50" in color. For this purpose, for example, as described above, the thickness of the insulating film of the element group 21A is formed to be smaller than the thickness of the insulating film of the element group 21B (may be conversely thicker).

As a result, the character "50" by the interference color is expressed in the light receiving window 19 and the designability of the light receiving window 19 can be improved, but the pattern is not limited to characters, and a number or a figure can be displayed. Good. And, as mentioned above,
Since the gap between the cover and the light receiving surface of the element is kept constant by the convex portion 10 provided on the back surface of the cover 9, the interference color does not change and the expression content is constant.

In the case of the IC card 27 of FIG. 8 (details not shown), a light receiving window 28 is provided on the surface of the card 27, and a solar cell 29 composed of a module of the above-mentioned element for power supply is provided inside this. Is provided. Also in this case, the element group 30B and the element group 30A are divided into
For example, a mosaic pattern design is formed by the interference color. Since the entire IC card 27 has flexibility, the structure of this embodiment is effective.

Therefore, if this IC card is applied to an employee ID card, for example, it becomes possible to record a large amount of information about an individual who has the solar cell 29 as a power source and is built in the IC card 27.

Then, the card-type portable radio 18 and the IC card 27 according to the present embodiment and the comparative sample in which the convex portion 10 is not provided on the cover are arranged side by side, and an external pressure is applied to make the color tone of the photoelectric conversion element module etc. When the photoelectric conversion element module constructed according to this example was inspected, it was possible to maintain the initial clear color tone. Contrary to this, in the case of the comparative sample, compared to the original color tone, it becomes a state that is almost monotonous, and the effect of the convex portion 10 on the back surface of the cover molded based on this example is remarkable. It was appearing.

9 to 14 show another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a partial sectional view of the solar cell.
In addition to the convex portion 10 in the above-described embodiment, another spacer 12
Is provided between the elements 1-1 and used together with the convex portion 10 to more effectively prevent the deformation of the cover 9.

The spacer 12 may be made of the same material as the cover 9 and integrally formed with the cover 9, or may be made of a material different from that of the cover 9. The spacer 12 is formed in a region that does not interfere with light reception.

Further, as shown in FIG. 10, the gap between the cover 9 and the element 1 can be held only by the spacer 12.
Also in this case, the material of the spacer 12 may be the same as that of the cover 9 and formed integrally with the cover 9, or the spacer 12 of another material may be bonded to the cover 9 or the glass substrate 8. However, in this case, it is desirable that the size of the element 1 is made small in order to keep the gap between the cover 9 and the element 1 constant by the spacer 12.

Further, in the example of FIG. 11, the cover 9 is doubled to be composed of a resin first cover 9a and a resin second cover 9b, and the protrusions 10a, 9b are formed on the covers 9a, 9b, respectively.
10b is provided. In this case, the distance d between the convex portions 10a-10a and between the convex portions 10b-10b is the same as in the first embodiment (FIG. 1).
Although it may be larger than in the case of (see), it is desirable that the positions of the upper and lower convex portions are the same as shown in the drawing (the positions may be different depending on the case). Further, the first cover 9a and the second cover 9b may be made of different materials, but both have to be translucent materials.

By thus providing the convex portions 10a and 10b on the upper and lower sides, the external pressure applied to the second cover 9b, which is the outermost surface side, is applied to the first cover 9a via the convex portions 10b of the second cover 9b.
To the convex portion of the first cover 9a located below the convex portion.
Since it acts on the element 1 side via 10a, even if both covers 9a and 9b are made thin, the second cover 9b has a convex portion.
When a warp occurs between the members 10b due to an external force, the warp is prevented from reaching the first cover 9a, so that the interference color is not changed. In addition, the presence of the second cover 9b protects the element 1 more effectively.

Further, in the example shown in FIG. 12, the first cover 19a is arranged on the element 1 with a predetermined gap formed through the convex portion 10, and the second cover 19b is arranged on the first cover 19a. .

Then, due to the presence of the second cover 19b,
Even if the convex portion 10 is not provided here, the deformation pressure thereof is buffered to a certain extent, and the degree of acting on the first cover 19a can be reduced.
Therefore, even if the first cover 19a is thin, the gap with the element 1 can be sufficiently maintained. Further, if the first cover 19a is formed of glass or the like having a low warp, the first cover 19a becomes difficult to be deformed even if the second cover 19b is deformed, and even if the first cover 19a is deformed, it is blocked by the convex portion 10. , The gap with the element 1 is maintained. Further, in any case, the element 1 is effectively protected by the both covers 19a and 19b on the outer surface side that is easily subjected to the external pressure, and even if the first cover 19a is made of glass, the second cover 19b has a crack preventing effect. is there.

Further, in each of the examples shown in FIGS. 13 and 14, a desired design is applied by the translucent printing 25. That is, since the print 25 is applied to the surface side of the cover 9 (FIG. 13) or the surface side of the element 1 (FIG. 14) to display a predetermined pattern, in order to utilize the interference color in each of the above examples,
Although it is necessary to change the thickness of the insulating film 4 as shown in FIG. 2, it is not necessary to cause light interference.
All the elements 1 can be manufactured identically, which is advantageous for cost reduction. As a means for expressing the design by printing 25, a mask having an opening in a predetermined pattern is used and, for example, polystyrene resin containing a translucent dye or pigment is formed by screen printing.

In the case of FIG. 13, the print 25 is applied to the upper surface of the cover 9, and in the case of FIG. 14, the print 25 is applied to the upper surface of the element 1. Therefore, in these cases, it is not necessary to prepare the patterning element 1 in which the thickness of the insulating film 4 is changed, and there is an advantage that the element 1 can be manufactured to the same standard. Further, in the case of FIG. 14, if the print 25 can also serve as a spacer, the convex portion 10 for holding the gap between the cover 9 and the element 1 is not necessarily provided. In this regard, the print 25 of FIG. 13 can be formed on the back surface of the cover 9.

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, various modifications can be made to the above embodiments based on the technical idea of the present invention.

For example, the configuration, shape and material of each part of the above-mentioned solar cell may be other than those in the above-mentioned embodiments. Further, the shape of the convex portion 10 may be a waveform instead of the point-shaped convex portion as in the above-described embodiment, and the convex portion may not always be in contact with the element, and if the interference is constant. Good. The cover 9 may be provided with recesses and the space between the recesses may be used as a spacer as long as it exhibits the same effect as the protrusion 10.

Further, although the convex portion 10 is formed integrally with the cover 9 in the above-mentioned embodiment, such a convex portion may be provided on the insulating film 4 side.

Furthermore, the material of the insulating film may be a material other than SiO ₂ , for example, Si ₃ N ₄ , and this changes the reflection efficiency and the refractive index, and it is possible to express in a color different from SiO _2. Become. The material of the cover 9 may be various as described above, and the element 1 may be made of the material described above other than single crystal silicon.

The present invention is not limited to solar cells, but CC
The present invention can also be applied to other photoelectric conversion elements such as D (charge coupled device), photodetector, and photodiode, and LED (light emitting diode) that emits light. In particular, various card-type ICs that are required to be thin The present invention can also be applied to a card, a pager, and a card type information recording / reproducing device that records / reproduces audio or video information.

Further, in particular, various products that can be carried or carried around: portable AV equipment such as radio, walkman (headphone stereo), radio cassette, handycam (camera integrated video recorder), etc. Expansion of application is expected.

[0083]

As described above, the present invention has a plurality of optoelectronic elements and a translucent cover on the outer surface side facing these elements. The translucent cover and the optoelectronic element Since the spacer is arranged between the two, even if the translucent cover is deformed to the element side due to external pressure during use, the spacer can prevent the deformation, and the gap between the two can be maintained.

As a result, the pattern on the element side can always be observed, and the intended design value can be enhanced. In addition, the translucent cover allows the incident light (or the emitted light) of the element to be effectively transmitted and can be sufficiently exerted without impairing the original performance of the element.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a part of a solar cell module according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of a part of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a principle of generating an interference color of light, (a)
Is a schematic sectional view, and (b) is an enlarged view of a part of (a).

FIG. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a main part showing the manufacturing process of the solar cell.

FIG. 5 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a main part showing another manufacturing process.

FIG. 6 is a schematic sectional view of a main part showing still another manufacturing step of the same.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a card type portable radio to which the solar cell is applied.

FIG. 8 is a front view of an IC card to which the solar cell is applied.

FIG. 9 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a part of a solar cell module according to another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a part of a solar cell module according to another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 11 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a part of a solar cell module according to another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 12 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a part of a solar cell module according to another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 13 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a part of a solar cell module according to another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 14 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a part of a solar cell module according to still another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 15 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a main part of a solar cell according to a conventional example.

FIG. 16 is a partial cross-sectional view of the solar cell.

FIG. 17 shows a calculator using the same solar cell, in which (a) is a plan view and (b) is a partially enlarged view of (a).

FIG. 18 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a part of the solar cell module.

FIG. 19 is an enlarged view of a part of FIG. 18.

[Explanation of symbols]

1, 21, 30 ... Solar cell element, 2 ... N-type silicon semiconductor substrate, 3 ... P-type silicon semiconductor layer, 4 ... Insulating film, 7 ... Silver paste, 8 ... Glass substrate, 9, 9a, 9b, 19a, 19b
... Translucent cover, 9A ... Cover material, 10, 10a, 10b ...
Convex part, 11, 20, 29 ... Solar cell, 12 ... Spacer, 14A ... Upper mold, 14B ... Lower mold, 15 ... Printing part, 15a, 15b ... Electrode, 16 ...
Wiring, 17 ... Mask, 18 ... Card type portable radio, 19, 28 ...
Light receiving window, 25 ... Printing, 26 ... Earphone, 27 ... IC card,
L ... incident light, L _1, L ₂ ... reflected light, C ... gap, t _1, t
₂ ... Thickness, d ... Interval

Claims (29)

[Claims] 1. A plurality of optoelectronic elements,
An optoelectronic device having a translucent cover on the outer surface side facing these elements, and a spacer being arranged between the translucent cover and the optoelectronic element. 2. A plurality of photoelectric conversion elements, and a flexible light-transmitting cover on the outermost surface side facing these elements, the flexible light-transmitting cover and the photoelectric conversion element. The optoelectronic device according to claim 1, wherein a spacer is provided between the optoelectronic devices. 3. A plurality of optoelectronic devices comprising:
The optoelectronic device according to claim 1, wherein the spacers are electrically connected to each other on the supporting substrate and the spacers are made of a material having a hardness lower than that of the optoelectronic element. 4. The flexible translucent cover is provided on the light receiving surface side of the photoelectric conversion element, and the flexible translucent cover and the spacer are formed of the same material. The described optoelectronic device. 5. The optoelectronic device according to claim 4, wherein the flexible transparent cover and the spacer are made of resin. 6. The optoelectronic device according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of spacers are formed by unevenness. 7. The optoelectronic device according to claim 1, wherein a predetermined element among the plurality of optoelectronic elements externally exhibits a pattern due to light interference. 8. The optoelectronic device according to claim 1, wherein the spacer is integrally formed with the translucent cover. 9. The optoelectronic device according to claim 4, wherein the distance between the adjacent spacers is not more than several times the thickness of the translucent cover. 10. The optoelectronic device according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of translucent covers are provided, and a flexible cover among the covers is provided with a spacer. 11. The optoelectronic device according to claim 1, wherein the optoelectronic element is printed. 12. The optoelectronic device according to claim 1, wherein the translucent cover is printed. 13. The optoelectronic device according to claim 11, wherein the printing is performed using a translucent material. 14. A plurality of optoelectronic elements,
When manufacturing an optoelectronic device having a translucent cover on the outer surface side facing these elements, and a spacer is arranged between the translucent cover and the optoelectronic element, the spacer is a A method for manufacturing an optoelectronic device integrally formed with a translucent cover. 15. The manufacturing method according to claim 14, wherein the spacer is integrally molded with the translucent cover by press molding. 16. The spacer is formed by spraying a spacer material against the translucent cover.
Production method described in 1. 17. A plurality of photoelectric conversion elements, and a flexible translucent cover on the outermost surface side facing these elements, the flexible translucent cover and the photoelectric conversion element 15. The manufacturing method according to claim 14, wherein a spacer is provided therebetween. 18. The manufacturing method according to claim 14, wherein a plurality of optoelectronic elements are electrically connected to each other on a supporting substrate, and the spacer is formed of a material having a hardness lower than that of the optoelectronic element. 19. The manufacturing method according to claim 17, wherein a flexible transparent cover is provided on the light receiving surface side of the photoelectric conversion element, and the flexible transparent cover and the spacer are formed of the same material. Method. 20. The manufacturing method according to claim 19, wherein the flexible transparent cover and the spacer are formed of resin. 21. The manufacturing method according to claim 14, wherein the plurality of spacers are formed by unevenness. 22. The manufacturing method according to claim 14, wherein a predetermined element among the plurality of optoelectronic elements is caused to visually exhibit a pattern due to light interference. 23. The manufacturing method according to claim 14, wherein the distance between the adjacent spacers is set to several times or less the thickness of the translucent cover. 24. The manufacturing method according to claim 14, wherein a plurality of translucent covers are formed, and a spacer is provided on a flexible cover among these covers. 25. The manufacturing method according to claim 14, wherein printing is performed on the optoelectronic device. 26. The manufacturing method according to claim 14, wherein printing is performed on the translucent cover. 27. The printing is performed using a translucent material.
The manufacturing method described in 25 or 26. 28. An information recording and / or reproducing apparatus having the optoelectronic device according to claim 1 on an outer surface side. 29. The information recording and / or reproducing apparatus according to claim 28, which is a thin radio receiver or an IC card.