Patent ID: 8154096

Claim:
A photoelectric conversion element, comprising: a conductive layer; a photoelectric conversion layer including stacked layers of a first semiconductor layer, a second semiconductor layer and a third semiconductor layer; the first semiconductor layer containing an impurity element of one conductivity type; the second semiconductor layer formed on the first semiconductor layer; and the third semiconductor layer containing an impurity element of an opposite conductivity type to that in the first semiconductor layer, on the second semiconductor layer, wherein a side surface of the photoelectric conversion layer includes a surface with a first taper angle and a surface with a second taper angle, wherein the surface with the first taper angle includes a side surface of the first semiconductor layer and a part of a side surface of the second semiconductor layer, wherein the surface with the second taper angle includes another part of the side surface of the second semiconductor layer and a side surface of the third semiconductor layer, wherein the surface with the first taper angle and the surface with the second taper angle have different taper angles, wherein a part of the first semiconductor layer is on the conductive layer, and the other part of the first semiconductor layer is on the same surface where the conductive layer is formed.