Patent ID: 7557294

Claim:
A solar cell comprising: a substrate; a conductive film formed on the substrate; a compound semiconductor layer formed on the conductive film, the compound semiconductor layer including a p-type semiconductor crystal containing an element of Group Ib, an element of Group IIIb, and an element of Group VIb; a n-type window layer formed on the compound semiconductor layer, the n-type window layer having an aperture; and a n-type transparent conductive film formed on the n-type window layer and on a portion of the compound semiconductor layer at the aperture of the n-type window layer, wherein the compound semiconductor layer includes a high-resistance part, the high-resistance part being located in a portion of the compound semiconductor layer in the vicinity of a surface thereof on a side opposite to the conductive film, the high-resistance part containing a n-type impurity doped in the p-type semiconductor crystal, and the high-resistance part is located under the aperture of the n-type window layer.