An optical energy conversion apparatus 10 includes a first impurity doped
semiconductor layer 5, formed on a substrate, and which is of a
semiconductor material admixed with a first impurity, an optically active
layer 6, formed on the first impurity doped semiconductor layer 5, and
which is of a hydrogen-containing amorphous semiconductor material, and a
second impurity doped semiconductor layer 7, admixed with a second
impurity and formed on the optically active semiconductor layer 6. The
second impurity doped semiconductor layer is of a polycrystallized
semiconductor material lower in hydrogen concentration than the material
of the optically active semiconductor layer 6. The average crystal grain
size in the depth-wise direction in an interfacing structure between the
optically active semiconductor layer 6 and the second impurity doped
semiconductor layer 7 is decreased stepwise in a direction proceeding
from the surface of the second impurity doped semiconductor layer towards
the substrate 1. By controlling the hydrogen concentration of the second
impurity doped semiconductor layer 7, the number of dangling bonds in the
second impurity doped semiconductor layer 7 is significantly decreased to
exhibit superior crystallinity to improve the conversion efficiency of
the apparatus 10.