TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - INORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Process: The step of forming the transition layer between the photoelectric unit and the back contact layer comprises: forming a metal oxide layer having excess oxygen on the photoelectric unit; forming an alloy layer comprising silicon, a metal comprising zinc, aluminum, gallium and/or titanium, and at least one of oxygen and nitrogen; adding oxygen, nitrogen, or both to the surface of the photoelectric unit and consuming a portion of the photoelectric unit; forming a transmitting conducting layer using a first deposition reaction and a second deposition reaction, where the first deposition reaction is performed at conditions selected to add oxygen or nitrogen or both to the surface of the photoelectric unit, and the second deposition reaction is performed at conditions selected to form a metal oxide layer having nitrogen or excess oxygen or both. The step of sputtering a source material from a target comprising zinc in the processing chamber comprises applying a first sputtering power to the target for a first period of time and then applying a second sputtering power to the target for a second period of time, where the second sputtering power is at least three times the first sputtering power. When the gas mixture is nitrogen-free, and the process further comprises reducing the oxygen in the gas mixture to sputter deposit a transparent conductive layer having substantially stoichiometric oxygen. When the gas mixture comprises nitrogen, and the process further comprises stopping the nitrogen and supplying oxygen to the gas mixture to sputter deposit a transparent conductive layer having substantially stoichiometric oxygen. Preferred Composition: The target further comprises at least one element comprising gallium or titanium. The first composition comprises at least 0.5 vol.% of oxygen. Preferred Components: The transition layer comprises silicon and at least one of oxygen and nitrogen. The metal oxide layer having excess oxygen comprises at least 55 atomic percent oxygen. The transition layer comprises at least 55 atomic percent oxygen. The transition layer is a bilayer comprising a first and second layer, each of which has a metal complex structure of formula (SiwOxNyMz).M = a metal or combination of metals;w = 1.0 in the first layer and less than 0.1 in the second layer;z = less than 0.1 in the first layer and 1 in the second layer; eitherx = 0-2 in the first layer and 0.7-1.5 in the second layer; andy = 0-1 in the first layer and less than 0.1 in the second layer; orx+y = greater than 0 in each layer.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - INSTRUMENTATION AND TESTING - Preferred Components: The photoelectric unit comprises a microcrystalline photoelectric layer and an amorphous photoelectric layer, and each of the photoelectric layers comprises a p-type layer, an n-type layer, and an intrinsic layer.