MX2008015042A - Rod-type semiconductor device. - Google Patents

Abstract

A rod-shaped semiconductor device has a light receiving function or a light emitting function. The semiconductor device is provided with a rod-shaped base material composed of a p-type or n-type semiconductor crystal; a separate conductive layer, which is formed at a portion excluding a strip-shaped portion parallel to the axis center of the base material on the surface layer portion of the base material, and has a conductivity type different from that of the base material; a pn junction formed by the base material and the separate conductive layer; a strip-shaped first electrode, which is formed on the surface of the strip-shaped portion of the base material and is connected to the base material by ohmic connection; and a strip-shaped second electrode, which is formed on the opposite side to the first electrode by having the axis center of the base material in between, and is connected to the separate conductive layer by ohmic connection.

Description

DEVICE SEMICONDUCTOR WITH SHAPE OF ROD TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a semiconductor device, especially a semiconductor device that is made of a rod-shaped semiconductor crystal, and has a function of receiving light or emitting light.

BACKGROUND TECHNOLOGY The inventor of the present application proposed, in U.S. Patent No. 6,204,545, a spherical semiconductor element having a function of receiving light or emitting light, wherein a spherical pn seal is formed near the surface of a spherical semiconductor crystal, and positive and negative dot-shaped electrodes are formed at both ends through the center of the spherical crystal. The semiconductor element has optical symmetry in other directions than the axial direction connecting the pair of electrodes, and has the advantage that it can receive light three-dimensionally from several directions, and emit light three-dimensionally in several directions. The inventor of the present application proposed, in the Patent Application Available to the Public International WO03 / 017382, a spherical semiconductor device that is almost the same semiconductor element as the semiconductor element, wherein one electrode is formed on a flat surface with one part of a vertex of a spherical semiconductor crystal removed, and the other electrode is formed on the opposite side of the electrode through the center of the semiconductor crystal. A module that receives light or emits light is obtained by placing such spherical semiconductor elements in the form of a flat matrix with many rows and columns, which connects in series multiple semiconductor elements in each column, and which connects in parallel multiple semiconductor elements in each row . The larger the area that receives light or the area that emits light from the module, the greater the number of connection points in which the semiconductor element is electrically connected. The inventor of the present application proposed, in the Patent Application Available to the International Public WO02 / 35612, a spherical semiconductor device that is almost the same semiconductor element as the semiconductor element, wherein a pair of flat surfaces are formed by removing both ends of the semiconductor element. Through the center of a spherical semiconductor crystal, a pn gasket is formed near the surface, including a flat surface of the semiconductor crystal, and positive and negative electrodes are formed on one flat surface and the other flat surface. Furthermore, it is proposed in the Patent Application Available to the International Public WO02 / 35612, a rod-shaped semiconductor element having a function of receiving light or emitting light, wherein a pair of end surfaces are formed perpendicular to the body of a Column-shaped semiconductor crystal, a joint pn is formed near the surface of the semiconductor crystal, including an end surface, and positive and negative elements are formed on both end surfaces. The rod-shaped semiconductor element has optical symmetry in other directions than the axial direction connecting the pair of electrodes, and has the advantage that it can receive light three-dimensionally from several directions and emit light three-dimensionally in several directions. In a photovoltaic array described in U.S. Patent No. 3,984,256, a n-type diffusion layer is formed on the surface of a filament made of a p-type silicon semiconductor of 0.0254-0.254 millimeters (0.001-0.010 inches) ) in diameter, a plurality of these filaments are placed in parallel and in flat form, multiple members of line of the connection P and line members of the connection N are placed alternately orthogonally on top of these filaments, the line member of the connection P is connected in an ohmic manner to the exposed part of the silicon semiconductor of the type p of multiple filaments, the line member of the connection N is connected in an omonic manner to the diffusion layer of the multi-filament type n, multiple line members of the connection P are connected to a bus P, and multiple line members of the connection N are connected to a busbar N. An insulating fiber with an upper resistor is woven, so that it constitutes multiple busbars P and busbars N and a mesh, thus constituting a blanket of flexible solar batteries, which generates electricity receiving light incident from its upper surface. In the semiconductor fiber solar battery and the module described in U.S. Patent No. 5,437,736, a conductive layer of molybdenum is formed on the surface of an insulating fiber, two layers of thin film semiconductor layers of the p type and of the type n having a photovoltaic function and a conductive layer of ZnO, they are formed in about 3/5 of the periphery of the surface of this conductive layer, a plurality of these semiconductor fiber solar batteries are placed in parallel and in planar form, a metal coating is formed on their back side, after which the metal coating is partially removed in a specified pattern, thus forming a connection circuit that performs tasks such as connecting in series multiple semiconductor fiber solar batteries. Patent Document 1: U.S. Patent No. 6,204,545. Patent Document 2: Patent Application Available to the International Public WO03 / 017382. Patent Document 3: Application for Patent Available to the International Public WO02 / 35612. Patent Document 4: Patent of the States United No. 3, 984, 256. Patent Document 5: United States Patent No. 5,437,736.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION PROBLEMS TO BE SOLVED BY THE INVENTION In the manufacture of a solar battery panel that uses spherical semiconductor elements, almost spherical semiconductor elements with a flat surface formed in a part of each, or almost spherical semiconductor elements with a pair of flat surfaces formed, the number of connection points that electrically connect the semiconductor elements increases, the structure of a conductor connection mechanism that electrically connects the semiconductor elements becomes complex, and its manufacturing cost it increases. Because the rod-shaped semiconductor element also has a granular shape, in the manufacture of a solar battery panel, the number of connection points that electrically connect the semiconductor elements is increased, the structure of a conductive connection mechanism that electrically connecting the semiconductor elements becomes complex, and their manufacturing cost increases. In addition, because a pair of electrodes is formed on both end surfaces perpendicular to the body, if the length of the rod-shaped semiconductor element is lengthened, the distance between the positive and negative electrodes increases, and the electrical resistance between the electrodes increases. Positive and negative electrodes are increased. Therefore, the rod-shaped semiconductor element is not suitable for the manufacture of a semiconductor element having a length that is multiple times that of the diameter . Because the photovoltaic array described in U.S. Patent No. 3,984,256 has a construction wherein light enters from the top in the same manner as in solar battery panels installed almost horizontally, it can not receive the Light that enters from both sides of the panel. This is also true with the semiconductor fiber solar battery in U.S. Patent No. 5,437,736. Especially, in a panel of solar batteries included in a window glass, for example, it is desired that it be capable of receiving light from both sides. On the other hand, when constructing a panel that emits light with semiconductor elements that have a function of emitting light, it is desirable that light can be emitted from both sides of the panel. The objectives of the present invention are to provide a rod-shaped semiconductor element having the function of receiving light or emitting light, and which can increase the area receiving light without increasing the interelectrode distance, to provide a semiconductor element in the form of rod, which has a large length / diameter ratio, and which can reduce the number of parts of 52-553 electrical connection by making a panel of multiple semiconductor elements, providing a rod-shaped semiconductor element that is difficult to roll, providing a rod-shaped semiconductor element, where the polarity of each electrode is easy to identify, and so on .

MEANS FOR SOLVING THE PROBLEM The rod-shaped semiconductor device of the present invention, which has a function of receiving light or emitting light, comprises a rod-shaped substrate made of a semiconductor crystal of type p or type n, having a circular cross section or a nearly circular cross-section, a separate conductive layer which is formed on a part of a surface of the substrate, excluding a band-shaped part parallel to an axis of the substrate and having a different type of conduction from that of the type of conduction of the substrate, an almost cylindrical pn joint formed with the substrate and the separate conductive layer, a first band-shaped electrode that is ohmically connected to a surface of the band-shaped part of the substrate, and a second band-shaped electrode ohmically connected to the separate conductive layer in an opposite side of the first 52-553 electrode, through the substrate axis. The separate conductive layer can be formed by diffusion, film formation or ion injection. If the rod-shaped semiconductor device has a function of receiving light, when sunlight is received, it generates a photovoltaic power of a specified voltage through its gasket pn, and removes it between the first and second electrodes. Because it has a symmetry that receives light around a plane that includes the first and second electrodes, the light beams that enter from both sides of the plane are received to generate electrical energy. If a large number of semiconductor devices in the form of rods are placed in the form of a panel and a circuit is formed to extract the generated power, it becomes a panel of solar batteries (solar battery module). If the rod-shaped semiconductor device has a function of emitting light, when a specified voltage is applied between the first and second electrodes, the light corresponding to the energy of the band gap of the joint pn is emitted from the joint pn. If a large number of rod-shaped semiconductor devices are placed in the form of a panel and a circuit is formed to apply a voltage, it becomes a panel that emits light (module that emits light). 52-553 ADVANTAGES OF THE INVENTION According to the rod-shaped semiconductor device of the present invention, because the first and second band-shaped electrodes connected to the surface of the band-shaped part of a substrate in the shape of rod and a separate conductive layer, even when the length / diameter ratio of the substrate is increased, the distance between the first and second electrodes can be kept smaller than the diameter of the substrate, and the electrical resistance between the first and second electrodes can be maintained little. Therefore, the performance to generate power or performance to emit light at the pn board can remain high. As a result, in the construction of a panel that receives light or emits light, the area that receives light from each semiconductor device is increased by increasing the length / diameter ratio of the substrate, and the number of electrical connection parts for the wiring of The semiconductor devices can decrease, making it possible to improve the panel's reliability and reduce the manufacturing cost. In addition, because there is a symmetry that receives light or emits light around a plane that includes the first and second electrodes, it is possible to build a panel that receives light 52-553 that can receive light from both sides of the panel or a panel that emits light that can emit light from both sides of the panel. As the components of the dependent claims of the present invention, various kinds of components such as the following may be adopted. (1) A band-shaped apex of the substrate is removed to form a flat band-shaped surface, and on this flat surface, the band-shaped part is formed, not only by making it a rod-like semiconductor element that is difficult to roll, but also making it possible to easily identify the polarities of the first and second electrodes. (2) An antireflective film is formed on a part of the surfaces of the substrate and the separate conductive layer, excluding the first and second electrodes. (3) The substrate is made of the type of a Si of a single crystal or polycrystalline Si of the type p, and the separated conductive layer is made of a conductive layer of type n containing P, Sb or As. (4) substrate is made of Si of a single crystal or polycrystalline Si of type n, and the separate conductive layer is constituted by a layer 52-553 conductive type p containing B, Ga or Al. (5) The device is built to be a device that receives light, receives light and generates electricity. (6) The substrate is made of GaP from a single crystal or GaAs from a single crystal of type n, and the separate conductive layer is constituted by a diffusion layer of type n, where the Zn diffuses thermally, which constitutes a diode that emits light. (7) The substrate is made of GaAs of a single n-type crystal, and the separate conductive layer is formed by diffusion, film formation or ion injection of GaAs of type p, which constitutes a light emitting diode. (8) The substrate is made of SiC of a single n-type crystal, and the separate conductive layer is formed by forming a GaN, GalnP or P p-type film, which constitutes a diode that emits light. (9) The joint area pn fits larger than the area of a cross section perpendicular to the axis of the substrate.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Figure 1 is a cross-sectional view of a single-crystal silicon body of the 52-553 Modality 1. Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of the line II-II in Figure 1. Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of a continuous substrate with a flat surface formed. Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view of line IV-IV in Figure 3. Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view of a continuous substrate with a thermally formed oxidized film. Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view of line VI-VI in Figure 5. Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view of a continuous substrate with a diffusion mask formed. Figure 8 is a cross-sectional view of the line VIII-VIII in Figure 7. Figure 9 is a cross-sectional view of a continuous substrate with a diffusion layer and a pn gasket formed. Figure 10 is a cross-sectional view of the line X-X in Figure 9. Figure 11 is a cross-sectional view of a substrate with a diffusion layer and a board formed. Figure 12 is a cross-sectional view of line XII-XII in Figure 11. Figure 13 is a cross-sectional view of a substrate with a diffusion layer, a pn gasket, and an anti-reflective film formed. Figure 14 is a cross-sectional view of the line XIV-XIV in Figure 13. Figure 15 is a cross-sectional view of a substrate with a diffusion layer, a pn seal, an antireflection film, and the members electrode installed. Figure 16 is a cross-sectional view of the line XVI-XVI in Figure 15. Figure 17 is a cross-sectional view of a semiconductor device (solar battery cell). Figure 18 is a cross-sectional view of the line XVIII-XVIII in Figure 17. Figure 19 is a perspective view of a semiconductor device (solar battery cell). Figure 20 is a cross-sectional view of a semiconductor device that emits light from Modality 2. Figure 21 is a sectional view 52-553 cross section of line XXI-XXI in Figure 20. Figure 22 is a cross-sectional view of a solar battery module of Modality 3. Figure 23 is a cross-sectional view of line XXIII-XXIII in Figure 22. Figure 24 is a diagram of an equivalent circuit of the solar battery module in Figure 22. Figure 25 is a cross-sectional view of a solar battery module of Modality 4. Figure 26 is a sectional view cross section of line XXV-XXV in Figure 24. Figure 27 is an equivalent circuit diagram of the solar battery module in Figure 25.

DESCRIPTION OF THE NUMBERS 1 silicon body of a single crystal 2, 2B flat surface 3A, 3B substrate 5, 5B diffusion layer ß, 6B gasket pn 8 antireflection film 52-553 8B passivation coating 9A positive electrode 9B negative electrode 10A negative electrode 10B positive electrode 20 semiconductor device receiving light (solar battery cell) 20B semiconductor device emitting light (diode emitting light) BEST MODE FOR IMPLEMENTING THE INVENTION The rod-shaped semiconductor device of the present invention, which has a function of receiving light or emitting light, comprises a rod-shaped substrate made of a semiconductor crystal of type p of type n, a layer separate conductor that is formed on a part of a surface of the substrate, excluding a band-shaped part parallel to the axis of the substrate, and having a different conduction type from that of the substrate, a pn-joint formed with the substrate and the layer separate conductor, a first band-shaped electrode that is formed on the surface of the band-shaped part of the substrate and ohmically connected to the substrate, and a second band-shaped electrode that is formed on the side 52-553 opposite of the first electrode through the axis of the substrate, and connected in an ohmic manner to the separate conductive layer.

MODE 1 One embodiment of the present invention will be explained based on the drawings. The rod-shaped semiconductor device 20 (see Figures 17 and 18) of the present invention is a rod-shaped semiconductor device (solar battery cell), which has a function of receiving light. The structure of this rod-shaped semiconductor device 20 will be explained while explaining its manufacturing method. As illustrated in Figures 1 and 2, first a single-crystal silicon body in the shape of a rod 1 is made, which is similar to a line member of a small diameter. The diameter of this silicon body of a single crystal 1 is approximately 2.0 MI, for example, and the length of the silicon body of a single crystal 1 is 60-300 mm. In the manufacture of this single crystal 1 silicon body, the molten silicon is extracted through a hole of a small diameter in the crucible bottom made of graphite or quartz. When this extraction is started, a small 52-553 Single crystal silicon piece is used as a seed crystal to manufacture the single crystal silicon body 1 of a small diameter rod shape continued through the seed crystal. This kind of manufacturing method of the single crystal body in the shape of a rod 1 is described in the literature, such as in Jpn. Appl. Phys. Vol. 35 (1996) pp. L793-795. Next, as illustrated in Figures 3 and 4, by polishing the silicon body of a single crystal 1 using a polishing machine and an appropriate abrasive material, a silicon body of a single crystal with a rod shape is formed which has a perfectly circular cross section perpendicular to the axis and a diameter of 1.8 mm, and a flat band-shaped surface of 0.6 mm width, for example, extending over the entire length, by polishing off a band-shaped part at a point in the direction of the circumference. In this way, a continuous substrate in the form of a rod 3 made of single-crystal silicon of the p-type is manufactured. This flat surface 2 will be used in subsequent processes as a reference surface for positioning, and as a surface to prevent the continuous substrate 3 from rolling, and in addition it is used for 52-553 identify the polarities of the positive and negative electrodes 9A and 10A described below. Next, the continuous substrate 3 is thermally processed in an oxygen-containing gas, using a method known to the public to form a thermally oxidized film 4 as illustrated in Figures 5 and 6 over the entire surface of the continuous substrate 3. A part of this thermally oxidized film 4 will be used as a masking of the diffusion 4a by thermally diffusing an n-type impurity in the subsequent diffusion process. Next, a part of the thermally oxidized film on the flat surface 2 and both of its sides of the continuous substrate 3 are covered with wax, for example, and the other part of the thermally oxidized film 4 not covered with wax, is removed to through a chemical etching process, using a fluoride solution, by a method known to the public, forming a masking of the band 4a diffusion as illustrated in Figures 7 and 8. Next, in the process of diffusion as illustrated in Figures 9 and 10, an impurity of type n of phosphorus (P), arsenic (As), or antimony (Sb), is thermally diffused to form a diffusion layer of type n 5, of 0.5 ~ 1.0 μp? thick (this corresponds 52-553 to the conductive layer separated from a conduction type different from the type of conduction of the substrate), in the part of the surface of the continuous substrate 3, which excludes the band-shaped part masked with the diffusion masking 4a, forming a pn almost cylindrical gasket 6. This gasket pn 6 has a shape of a partial cylinder (a partial cylinder with a C-shaped cross section), which is a cylinder having as its center, the axis 3a of the continuous substrate 3 , excluding the flat surface 2 and the adjacent parts on both sides thereof. Since a phosphorus-containing silicon oxide film 7 formed during the phosphorus diffusion process has impurities such as copper, iron and gold (this reduces the lives of the carriers), during the thermal diffusion of phosphorus, because it has hygroscopicity, is completely removed through a chemical etching process with an acid to burn known by the public. By doing this, the masking of the broadcast 4a is also removed. Next, as illustrated in Figures 11 and 12, the rod-shaped continuous substrate 3 with the diffusion layer of type n 5 and the formed pn 6 gasket, are cut into a column-shaped body 52-553 cut approximately 5 mm in length, using a cutting device such as a wire saw to make a rod-shaped substrate 3A with the diffusion layer of the n 5 type and the pn 6 gasket formed, and an anti-reflective film 8 and the positive and negative electrodes 9A and 10A are installed in this substrate 3A in the following manner. First, as illustrated in Figures 13 and 14, as an antireflective film 8 that prevents reflection of light entering from the outside, an antireflective film 8 made of a silicon oxide coating or a silicon nitride coating As a passivation film on the surface of the silicon, it is formed on the entire surface of the rod-shaped substrate 3A by a method of thermal oxidation known to the public. Next, as illustrated in Figures 15 and 16, a positive electrode member 9 made of silver-containing paste is printed in a band-like shape approximately 0.4 mm wide on the surface of the central part of the flat surface 2 of the substrate 3A, and a negative electrode member 10 made of conductive paste containing aluminum is printed in a band-like shape approximately 0.4 mm wide at the apex, on the opposite side of the positive electrode member 9 through the shaft 3a of the substrate 52-553 3A on the surface of the diffusion layer of type n 5. Then, after drying the positive electrode member 9 and the negative electrode member 10, they are burned in an inert gas, so that the positive electrode member 9 and the negative electrode member 10 each penetrate the antireflection film before 8, so that the positive electrode member 9 forms a positive electrode 9A electrically and ohmically connected to the single crystal silicon of the substrate 3A and the Negative electrode 10 forms a negative electrode 10A electrically and ohmically connected to the diffusion layer of type n 5. In this way, a semiconductor device in the shape of a rod (almost in the shape of a column) 20 is obtained (cell of solar batteries ) (see Figures 17 and 18). In this semiconductor device 2, the area of the joint pn 6 is adjusted significantly higher than the cross-sectional area of a cross section perpendicular to the axis 3a of the substrate 3A. In FIG. 19 a perspective view from above of the semiconductor device 20 is illustrated. The gasket pn 6 is formed in parallel near the almost cylindrical surface of the substrate 3A, the negative electrode 10A is connected in an ohmic manner to the central part in the direction of diffusion layer width 52-553 of the type n 5, the positive electrode 9A which is placed on the opposite side of the negative electrode 10A through the axis 3a, and is placed in the central part of the width direction of the flat surface 2 of the substrate 3A, is connected from single-crystal ohmic ohmic way of the p-type of the substrate 3A, and the positive electrode 9A and the negative electrode 10A are connected to both ends of the board pn 6. Therefore, when the sunlight 11 enters a region of the surface of the semiconductor device 20, excluding the positive electrode 9A and the negative electrode 10A, is absorbed by the silicon of a single crystal constituting the substrate 3A, the carriers are generated (electrons and positive holes), and the electrons and positive holes they are separated by the board pn 6 to generate a photovoltaic power of approximately 0.5 ~ 0.β V between the positive electrode 9A and the negative electrode 10A. This semiconductor device 20 has a rod shape almost in the shape of a column, the positive and negative electrodes 9A and 10A are placed on both sides of the axis 3a of the substrate 3A, where the positive electrode 9A is placed in the center of a surface of the type p of the flat surface 2, and the negative electrode 10A is placed in the center of a 52-553 surface of type n of the diffusion layer 5. Therefore, there is a symmetry that receives light around a plane that connects the positive and negative electrodes 9A and 10A, and sunlight can be absorbed from both sides of the plane with a wide directivity and a high sensitivity to receive light. Even if the direction of the incident light changes, the sensitivity to receive light never diminishes. As illustrated in Figure 19, in an arbitrary plane intersecting perpendicularly with the axis 3a of the substrate 3A, because three different positions A, B and C along the periphery have sums almost equal to the distances of the positive and negative electrodes 9A and 10A, namely (a + b) (a '+ b') s (a "+ b") ^ the distribution of the optical current induced by the carriers generated in the substrate 3A made of silicon a single crystal becomes uniform around the axis 3a of the substrate 3A, which can reduce the loss of strength due to the deviation. Note that the surface of the joint pn 6 is protected with an insulating silicon oxide coating 8, on the circumference and on the end face intersecting perpendicularly with the axis 3a. In addition, according to this semiconductor device 20, because the positive and negative band-shaped 9A and 10A are installed opposite one another through the axis 3a on the surface of the rod-shaped substrate 3A, even if the length / diameter ratio of the substrate 3A is increased, the distance between the electrodes Positive and negative 9A and 10A can be kept smaller than the diameter of the substrate 3A, so the electrical resistance between the positive and negative electrodes 9A and 10A can be kept at a small value, and the performance of the photoelectric conversion at the pn 6 joint can stay high As a result, in the construction of a solar battery panel (or a solar battery module) that uses various semiconductor devices 20, increasing the length / diameter ratio of the substrate 3A, the number of electrical connection parts can be reduced, the reliability The solar battery panel can be improved, and the manufacturing cost can be reduced. In addition, because it has a symmetry to receive light around a plane, including the positive and negative electrodes 9A and 10A, a solar battery panel can be built which can receive light from both sides of the panel. Because the flat surface 2 is formed in the substrate 3A, the flat surface 2 can be used as a reference surface when the semiconductor device 20 is manufactured, the flat surface 2 can prevent the continuous substrate 3 and the substrate 3A from rolling, and the positive and negative electrodes 9A and 10A can be easily identified by a sensor of a mounting device automatic, for example, via the flat surface 2. Then, because the antireflection film 8 is formed on the surface of the semiconductor device 20, the reflection of the incident light can be suppressed to increase the efficiency to receive light, and the film antireflective 8 that also functions as a passivation film, can protect the surface of the semiconductor device 20 and ensure durability. The examples of partially changing the modality are explained. 1) While the diameter of the substrate 3A in the mode described above was 1.8 mm, the diameter of the substrate 3A is not limited thereto, but may be an arbitrary value of 0.5 mm or greater. In order to save the silicon raw material from a single crystal, desirably, it should be 1.0-2.0 mm. In addition, while the length of the substrate 3A in the modality described above was 5.0 mm, the length of the substrate 3A is not limited thereto, but may be about 2-20 times the diameter of the substrate 3A. However, the area of the joint pn 6 must fit larger than the cross-sectional area perpendicular to the body of the substrate 3A. 2) While the width of the flat surface 2 in the modality described above was 0.6 mm, the width of the flat surface 2 is not limited to this, but can be adjusted to approximately 0.4-0.6 mm. Here, the flat surface 2 formed on the substrate 3A is not indispensable, but may be omitted. However, in that case, the positive electrode 9A will have the same structure as the negative electrode 10A, where the positive and negative electrodes 9A and 10A are placed symmetrically around the body 3a. 3) While the substrate 3A of the semiconductor device 20 (solar battery cell) was made of Si of a single crystal of the type p in this embodiment, it can be made of polycrystalline Si of the p type. The separate conductive layer for forming the joint pn 6 in cooperation with the substrate 3A may be constituted by a n-type conductive layer containing P, Sb or As. This conductive layer of the n-type may be formed 52-553 by thermal diffusion, formation of a CVD film or ion injection. In addition, the substrate can be made of Si of a single crystal or polycrystalline Si of type n. The separate conductive layer for forming the joint pn 6 in cooperation with the substrate 3A can be constituted by a p-type conductive layer containing impurities of Ga, B and Al of the p type. This p-type conductive layer can be formed by thermal diffusion, CVD film formation or ion injection. Note that the substrate 3A can be made of a semiconductor different from Si, from Ge, GaSb, GaAs, InP or SiC from a single crystal, or from a semiconductor with multiple compounds containing these.

MODE 2 A semiconductor device 20B of this Modality 2 is a diode that emits light having a function of emitting light. As illustrated in Figures 20 and 21, this semiconductor device 20B is equipped with a substrate 3B, a flat surface 2B, a diffusion layer 5B, a pn 6B seal, a negative electrode 9B, a positive electrode 10B, and a coating of passivation 8B, constituted of the same structure as the semiconductor device 20 in the 52-553 modality described above. The substrate 3B is made of single-crystal or polycrystalline GaP (gallium phosphide) of type n, which is 0.5 mm in diameter and approximately 5.0 mm in length, for example. Note that the diameter only needs to be about 0.5 ~ 1.0 mm, and that the length is not limited to 5.0 mm, either. By thermally diffusing the zinc (Zn) in the surface layer of the masked substrate 3B with a diffusion mask consisting of a silicon nitride (SÍ3N4) film similar to the diffusion mask 4a described above, the diffusion layer of the type p 5B it is formed on the substrate 3B in the same manner as the diffusion layer 5 described above, and the nearly cylindrical pn 6B gasket (partially cylindrical shape near a cylinder) is formed. The area of this gasket pn 6B is set higher than the area of the cross section perpendicular to the axis of the substrate 3B. In the same manner as the antireflection film 8 described above, the passivation coating 8B made of Ti02, for example, is formed over the entire surface, except for the positive and negative electrodes 10B and 9B, and in the same way as the Positive and negative electrodes 9A and 10A 52-553 of the embodiment described above, the positive and negative electrodes 10B and 9B are installed, wherein the negative electrode 9B is placed in the center of the width direction of the flat surface 2B and is electrically connected in an ohmic manner to the n-type GaP of the substrate 3B, and the positive electrode 10B is installed on the opposite side of the negative electrode 9B through the axis 3b of the substrate 3B, and is electrically connected in an ohmic manner to the diffusion layer of the type p 5B. In this semiconductor device emitting light 20B (light emitting diode), when an electric current sent is allowed to flow from the positive electrode 10B towards the negative electrode 9B, a red light is emitted in the radial direction of the board pn 6B to almost the same intensity. In the same way as in the semiconductor device 20 described above, it has a symmetry that emits light around a plane, including the positive and negative electrodes 10B and 9B, where the red light generated is emitted at an emission intensity equal to that in the radial direction with a wide directivity. Because the gasket pn has a partially cylindrical shape close to a cylinder, the red light generated passes perpendicularly to the surface of the semiconductor element 20B and is emitted to the outside. 52-553 Therefore, the loss of light by internal reflection is reduced, and the efficiency that emits light is improved. Next, because the distance between the positive and negative electrodes 10B and 9B can be maintained equal to, or smaller than, the diameter of the substrate 3B, the electrical resistance between the electrodes 10B and 9B can be kept low, and a high light emission performance can be obtained. An example of partially modifying the semiconductor device 20B described above is explained below. It is also possible to construct the substrate 3B described above using various kinds of semiconductor materials known to the public (eg, GaAs, SiC, GaN and InP), so that various kinds of light beams are emitted. A separate conductive layer of a different conduction type from the substrate 3B, which forms the joint pn 6B in cooperation with the substrate 3B described above, can be formed by thermal diffusion of the impurities, formation of a CVD film or injection of ions. For example, a diode that emits light can be constructed, constituting the substrate 3B of the GaAs of a single crystal of type n and constituting the layer 52-553 conductor separated from a diffusion layer with thermally diffused Zn. In addition, the light emitting diode can be constructed by forming a 3B GaAs substrate of a single n-type crystal and forming the separate conductive layer described above by diffusing thermally, forming a film by CVD of, or injecting pA GaAs ions. Also, a diode that emits light can be constructed by forming the SiC substrate 3B of a single n-type crystal and forming the separate conductive layer by coating GaN or Galnp of the p-type.

MODE 3 In Figures 22 and 23 there is illustrated a series of solar battery modules 30, wherein a plurality of the semiconductor devices 20 described above (solar battery cells), is connected in series placed in a flat shape with the direction of the driving aligned to the direction of the column. The adjacent positive and negative electrodes 9A and 10A are electrically connected by alloy, via a bar of a thin plate 31 made of an iron-nickel alloy, which has a coefficient of thermal expansion similar to the expansion coefficient 52-553 Si thermal of a single crystal. For example, the positive and negative electrodes 9? and 10A can be allied by interconnecting the bonded face with the positive electrode 9A with an aluminum film containing 2% Si and the face attached with the negative electrode 10A with a silver film containing 1% antimony in the plate bar thin 31. In this series of solar battery modules 30, the output voltage can be increased, increasing the number of cells of solar batteries connected in series. Sunlight on the front side and sunlight on the back side can be received with a high photoreceptor sensitivity. As illustrated in Figure 24, an equivalent circuit 30A of this solar cell cell module 30 is a circuit in which multiple light-receiving diodes 20A corresponding to the semiconductor device 20 (solar battery cell) are connected in series.

MODE 4 In Figures 25 and 26 a solar battery module of the series-parallel type 40 is illustrated, wherein a plurality of semiconductor devices 20 (solar battery cells) are placed in a 52-553 multi-row, multi-column flat array form, with the direction of conduction aligned with the direction of the column, and these semiconductor devices 20 are connected in series and in parallel. The positive electrodes 9A of multiple cells of solar cells in each row and the negative electrodes 10A of multiple cells of solar batteries 20 in each adjacent row, are electrically connected by alloy via a continuous thin plate bar 41. In this module of solar batteries 40, multiple cells of solar batteries in each column are connected in series via multiple thin plate bars 41, and multiple cells of solar batteries 20 in each row are connected in parallel via a pair of thin plate bars 41 on both of their sides . This thin plate bar 41 is the same as the thin plate bar 31, which joins the positive and negative electrodes 9? and 10A by the same alloy as mentioned above. The thin plate bar 41 is also attached to the positive and negative electrodes 9A and 10A of the solar battery cell in the spinneret at one end and the spinneret at the other end to electrically connect them to an external output wire. How I know 52-553 illustrated in Figure 27, an equivalent circuit 40A of this solar battery module 40 is where the light-receiving diodes 20A corresponding to the solar battery cells 20, are placed in a multi-row, multi-column matrix form, connected both in series and in parallel. An output current is generated in accordance with the number of the solar battery cells 20 in the row direction, and an output voltage is generated corresponding to the number of cells of solar batteries 20 in the direction of the column. In this module of solar batteries 40, because the cells of solar batteries 20 of multiple rows and multiple columns are connected both in series and in parallel, even if a part of the cells of solar batteries 20 stop their function of generating energy due to a breakdown, broken wire, shadow, etc., the photocurrent flows are diverted from those cells of solar batteries 20, therefore, the power generation function of the normal solar battery cells will not be lost. Because the solar battery module 40 can receive light from both sides, it is preferably constructed as a panel of solar batteries included in road sound insulation walls or a battery panel 52-553 solar with fence.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY If this rod-shaped semiconductor device is a solar battery cell, a solar battery panel can be constructed with a large number of semiconductor devices, and if the rod-shaped semiconductor device has a function of emitting light, it can be used as a single diode that emits light or to make a panel that emits light that comprises multiple semiconductor devices. 52-553

Claims (1)

1. CLAIMS i 1. A rod-shaped semiconductor device that has a function of receiving light or emitting light; wherein the rod-shaped semiconducting device comprises a rod-shaped substrate made of a semiconductor crystal of type p of the type n having a circular or nearly circular cross-section, a separate conductive layer which is formed in a part of the surface of the substrate, excluding a band-shaped part parallel to an axis of the substrate, and having a different conduction type from that of the substrate, an almost cylindrical pn joint formed with the substrate and the separate conductive layer, a first electrode with band shape ohmically connected to a surface of the band-shaped part in the substrate, and a second band-shaped electrode ohmically connected to a surface of the separate conductive layer on an opposite side of the first electrode, through the substrate axis. The semiconductive rod-shaped device according to claim 1, wherein the band-shaped apex of the substrate is removed to form 52-553 a flat band-shaped surface, and the band-shaped part is formed on this flat surface. The semiconductive rod-shaped device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein an antireflection film is formed on a part of a surface of the substrate and the separate conductive layer, excluding the first and second electrodes. The semiconductive rod-shaped device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the substrate is made of Si of a single crystal or polycrystalline Si of the p type, and the separate conductive layer is constituted of a conductive layer of the type n containing P, Sb or As. The rod-shaped semiconductor device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the substrate is made of Si of a single crystal or polycrystalline Si of type n, and the separate conductive layer is constituted by a conductive layer of the type p containing B, Ga or Al. 6. The rod-shaped semiconductor device according to claim 4, wherein the device is constructed to be a device that receives light, receives light and generates energy electric 7. The rod-shaped semiconductor device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the 52-553 The device is constructed to be a light emitting diode, wherein the substrate is made of single-crystal GaPs or single-crystal GaAs of type n, and the separate conductive layer is constituted by a diffusion layer of type n with Zn diffused thermally. The rod-shaped semiconductor device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the device is constructed to be a light-emitting diode, wherein the substrate is made of GaAs of a single n-type crystal, and the conductive layer separated is formed by diffusion, formation of a film of, or injection of GaAs ions of the p type. The rod-shaped semiconductor device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the device is constructed to be a light emitting diode, wherein the substrate is made of SiC of a single n-type crystal, and the conductive layer Separate is formed by making a GaN or GalnP film of type p. The semiconductive rod-shaped device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein an area of the joint pn is set higher than that of a cross-section intersecting perpendicular to the axis of the substrate. 52-553