1. An ultrasonic probe comprising:
an optical transmission path array including a plurality of optical transmission paths on which light is incident at first ends thereof; and
a plurality of ultrasonic detecting elements formed at second ends of said plurality of optical transmission paths, for modulating light incident through the respective transmission paths on the basis of an applied ultrasonic wave.
2. An ultrasonic probe according to claim 1, wherein said optical transmission path array includes an optical fiber array including optical fibers.
3. An ultrasonic probe according to claim 1, wherein said optical fibers are single mode fibers.
4. An ultrasonic probe according to claim 1, wherein said optical transmission path array includes optical waveguides formed on a substrate.
5. An ultrasonic probe according to claim 1, wherein each of said plurality of ultrasonic detecting elements has a Fabry-Perot resonator structure.
6. An ultrasonic probe according to claim 1, wherein each of said plurality of ultrasonic detecting elements has a Bragg grating structure.
7. An ultrasonic probe according to claim 1, wherein each of said plurality of ultrasonic detecting elements has both a Fabry-Perot resonator structure and a Bragg grating structure.
8. An ultrasonic probe according to claim 1, wherein an ultrasonic sensing part included in each of said plurality of ultrasonic detecting elements has a length not larger than of a wavelength of an ultrasonic wave propagating said ultrasonic sensing part.
9. An ultrasonic probe according to claim 1, further comprising at least one of an acoustic matching layer, an acoustic lens, and an absorbing material.
10. An ultrasonic receiver comprising:
a plurality of ultrasonic detecting elements, arrayed in a two-dimensional arrangement, for modulating light on the basis of an applied ultrasonic wave; and
a photodetector for detecting light output from said plurality of ultrasonic detecting elements.
11. An ultrasonic receiver apparatus according to claim 10, further comprising an optical fiber array containing a plurality of optical fibers each having a first end portion into which light is entered and a second end portion where said ultrasonic detecting element is formed.
12. An ultrasonic receiver apparatus according to claim 10, further comprising a plurality of optical waveguide paths formed on a substrate and each having a first end portion into which light is entered and a second end portion where said ultrasonic detecting element is formed.
13. An ultrasonic receiver according to claim 10, further comprising an optical amplifier for amplifying light generated by a light source and supplying the amplified light to said plurality of ultrasonic detecting elements.
14. An ultrasonic receiver according to claim 10, further comprising an optical amplifier for amplifying the light output from said plurality of ultrasonic detecting elements and supplying the amplified light to said photodetector.
15. An ultrasonic receiver according to claim 10, further comprising a light source for generating a single mode laser beam having a wavelength in the range of 500 nm to 1600 nm.
16. An ultrasonic receiver according to claim 10, wherein each of said plurality of ultrasonic detecting elements has a Fabry-Perot resonator structure.
17. An ultrasonic receiver according to claim 10, wherein each of said plurality of ultrasonic detecting elements has a Bragg grating structure.
18. An ultrasonic receiver according to claim 10, further comprising:
a broadband light source for emitting light having a predetermined transmission band; and
a narrow-band-pass filter for narrowing the predetermined transmission band of the light emitted from said broadband light source.
19. An ultrasonic receiver according to claim 18, wherein said broadband light source is an ASE (Amplified Spontaneous Emission) light source which emits amplified spontaneous emission light.
20. An ultrasonic receiver according to claim 19, wherein:
said narrow-band-pass filter has a Bragg grating structure made from the same materials as those of the Bragg grating structure of said plurality of ultrasonic detecting elements; and
the Bragg grating structure of said narrow-band filter and the Bragg grating structure of said plurality of ultrasonic detecting elements are thermally coupled.
21. An ultrasonic receiver according to claim 10, wherein each of said plurality of ultrasonic detecting elements has both a Fabry-Perot resonator structure and a Bragg grating structure.
22. An ultrasonic receiver according to claim 10, wherein said photodetector includes one of a CCD device and a plurality of photodiodes.
23. An ultrasonic receiver according to claim 10, further comprising at least one of an acoustic matching layer, an acoustic lens, and an absorbing material.
24. An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus comprising:
a drive signal generating circuit for generating a drive signal for transmitting ultrasonic waves;
an ultrasonic transmission unit for directing ultrasonic waves onto an object in response to the drive signal supplied from said drive signal generating circuit;
an ultrasonic detection unit including a plurality of ultrasonic detecting elements for modulating light based on an applied ultrasonic wave;
a photodetector for detecting the light output from said ultrasonic detection unit to generate a detection signal;
signal processing means for processing the detection signal supplied from said photodetector; and
control means for controlling transmission timing of said drive signal generating circuit and receives timing of said signal processing means.
25. An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 24, wherein said ultrasonic detection unit includes:
an optical transmission path array including a plurality of optical transmission paths on which light is incident at first ends thereof; and
a plurality of ultrasonic detecting elements formed on the optical fibers at the second ends thereof, for modulating light incident through the respective optical fibers on the basis of an ultrasonic wave reflected by an object.
26. An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 24, wherein said ultrasonic detection unit includes a plurality of ultrasonic detecting elements which are arrayed in a two-dimensional arrangement.
27. An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 24, further comprising an optical amplifier for amplifying light exiting from the light source and supplying the amplified light to the ultrasonic detecting elements.
28. An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 24, further comprising an optical amplifier for amplifying light exiting from said plurality of ultrasonic detecting elements and supplying the amplified light to said photodetector.
29. An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 24, wherein:
each of said plurality of ultrasonic detecting elements has a Bragg grating structure;
said ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus further comprises a narrow-band-pass filter including an ASE (Amplified Spontaneous Emission) light source for emitting amplified spontaneous emission light, and a Bragg grating structure, made from the same materials as those of the Bragg grating structure of said plurality of ultrasonic detecting elements, for narrowing the transmission band of the light emitted from said ASE light source; and
the Bragg grating structure of said narrow-band-pass filter and the Bragg grating structure of said plurality of ultrasonic detecting elements are thermally coupled.
30. An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 24, wherein said ultrasonic transmission unit and said ultrasonic detection unit are combined to form an ultrasonic transmitting and receiving unit.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A photovoltaic device comprising
a crystalline semiconductor substrate of first conductive type including a first main surface and a second main surface provided on an opposite side of the first main surface, and
a semiconductor layer of second conductive type provided on the first main surface, wherein,
the crystalline semiconductor substrate and the semiconductor layer include a processed side interposed between the first main surface and the second main surface,
the processed side surface including a thermally influenced laser processed region and a bent and cut processed region,
wherein the thermally influenced laser processed region is disposed along a side surface of the second main surface of the crystalline semiconductor substrate and extends from the second main surface toward the first main surface and terminates prior to intersecting the semiconductor layer of second conductive type, the laser processed region comprising a plurality of convex portions extending toward the first main surface on a boundary between the thermally influenced laser processed region and the cut processed region, and,
the bent and cut processed region is disposed along a side surface proximate the first main surface of the crystalline semiconductor substrate and a side surface of the semiconductor layer and includes a plurality of stress concentrated marks formed radially from the convex portions of the thermally influenced laser processed region.
2. A photovoltaic device according to claim 1, wherein,
the semiconductor layer of the second conductive type comprises an amorphous semiconductor layer of the second conductive type and a conductive film layer of the second conductive type that are layered in order from the first main surface of the crystalline semiconductor substrate.
3. A photovoltaic device according to claim 2 further comprising;
a semiconductor layer of the first conductive type provided on the second main surface of the crystalline semiconductor substrate, wherein,
the semiconductor layer of the first conductive type comprises an amorphous semiconductor layer of the first conductive type and a conductive film layer of the first conductive type that are layered in order from the second main surface of the crystalline semiconductor substrate.
4. A photovoltaic device according to claim 3, wherein,
at least one of the amorphous semiconductor layer of the second conductive type and the amorphous semiconductor layer of the first conductive type includes an intrinsic amorphous semiconductor layer.
5. A photovoltaic device according to claim 1, further comprising a cut-processed region wherein,
the cut processed region is formed by a bending and cutting process,
the thermally influenced laser processed region has a plurality of convex portions extending toward the first main surface on a the boundary between the thermally influenced laser processed region and the cut processed region, and,
the cut processed region has a stress concentrated marks formed radially from the convex portions of the thermally influenced laser processed region, which marks are generated during a the bending and cutting process.
6. A photovoltaic device according to claim 5, wherein,
an average height of the convex portions is equal to or more than 15 \u03bcm.
7. A photovoltaic device according to claim 5, wherein,
an average interval between the convex portions is 0.2 to 3.0 times an average height of the convex portions.
8. A photovoltaic device according to claim 5, wherein,
an average length from the second main surface to top of the convex portions is equal to or more than 50% of a length from the second main surface to the first main surface.
9. A photovoltaic device comprising
a crystalline semiconductor substrate of first conductive type including a first main surface and a second main surface provided on an opposite side of the first main surface, and
a semiconductor layer of second conductive type provided on the first main surface, wherein,
the crystalline semiconductor substrate and the semiconductor layer include a processed side interposed between the first main surface and the second main surface,
the processed side surface including a thermally influenced laser processed region,
wherein the thermally influenced laser processed region is disposed along a side surface of the second main surface of the crystalline semiconductor substrate and extends from the second main surface toward the first main surface and terminates prior to intersecting the semiconductor layer of second conductive type, the laser processed region comprising a plurality of convex portions extending toward the first main surface on a boundary between the thermally influenced laser processed region and a bent and cut processed region.
10. The photovoltaic device of claim 9, wherein the thermally influenced laser processed region comprises a microcrystallized surface.
11. The photovoltaic device of claim 9, further comprising a cut-processed region wherein,
the thermally influenced laser processed region has a plurality of convex portions extending toward the first main surface on a boundary between the thermally influenced laser processed region and the cut processed region, and,
the cut processed region has a stress concentrated marks formed radially from the convex portions of the thermally influenced laser processed regions.
12. A photovoltaic device comprising
a crystalline semiconductor substrate of first conductive type including a first main surface and a second main surface provided on an opposite side of the first main surface, and
a semiconductor layer of second conductive type provided on the first main surface, wherein,
the crystalline semiconductor substrate and the semiconductor layer include a processed side interposed between the first main surface and the second main surface,
the processed side surface including a thermally influenced region formed by laser beam irradiation, and a bent and cut processed region,
wherein the thermally influenced region is disposed along a side surface of the second main surface of the crystalline semiconductor substrate and extends from the second main surface toward the first main surface and terminates prior to intersecting the semiconductor layer of second conductive type, the thermally influenced side surface being microcrystallized by the influence of heat from laser processing and including a plurality of convex portions extending toward the first main surface,
the bent and cut processed region is disposed along a side surface proximate the first main surface of the crystalline semiconductor substrate and a side surface of the semiconductor layer and includes a plurality of stress concentrated marks formed radially from the convex portions of the thermally influenced laser processed region, the semiconductor layer of the second conductive type not being microcrystallized.
13. The photovoltaic device of claim 12 wherein the semiconductor layer of the second type is an amorphous semiconductor layer including impurities of the second conductive type.
14. A photovoltaic device comprising
a crystalline semiconductor substrate of first conductive type including a first main surface and a second main surface provided on an opposite side of the first main surface, and
a semiconductor layer of second conductive type provided on the first main surface, wherein,
the crystalline semiconductor substrate and the semiconductor layer include a processed side interposed between the first main surface and the second main surface,
the processed side surface including a thermally influenced laser processed region and a bent and cut processed region,
wherein the thermally influenced laser processed region is disposed along a side surface of the second main surface of the crystalline semiconductor substrate and extends from the second main surface toward the first main surface and terminates prior to intersecting the semiconductor layer of second conductive type, the thermally influenced side surface being microcrystallized by the influence of heat from laser processing and including a plurality of convex portions extending toward the first main surface such that a processed side surface corresponding to the semiconductor layer of the second conductive type is not microcrystallized.
15. The photovoltaic device of claim 14 wherein the semiconductor layer of the second type is an amorphous semiconductor layer including impurities of the second conductive type.