Patent ID: 7663056

Claim:
A chalcopyrite type solar cell comprising a stack including a first electrode composed of a metal, a light absorption layer formed on or above said first electrode, said light absorption layer being composed of a chalcopyrite type compound and serving as a P-type semiconductor, and a second electrode formed on or above said light absorption layer, said second electrode serving as an N-type semiconductor, wherein: mica is contained in an insulative substrate that retains said stack; a smoothing layer having irregularities on an upper end surface thereof is provided between said insulative substrate and said stack, said irregularities of the smoothing layer being smaller than irregularities on an upper end surface of said insulative substrate; and a binder layer and a diffusion-preventive layer are interposed between said insulative substrate and said stack such that said binder layer and said diffusion-preventive layer sandwich said smoothing layer, said diffusion-preventive layer being provided between said smoothing layer and said insulative substrate and preventing diffusion of impurities from said insulative substrate, each of said binder layer and said diffusion-preventive layer containing TiN or TaN, and each of said binder layer and said diffusion-preventive layer having a thickness of 0.5 to 1 μm.