Abstract: A sputtering target which is composed of a sintered body of an oxide which contains at least indium, tin, and zinc and includes a spinel structure compound of Zn2SnO4 and a bixbyite structure compound of In2O3. A sputtering target includes indium, tin, zinc, and oxygen with only a peak ascribed to a bixbyite structure compound being substantially observed by X-ray diffraction (XRD).

Abstract: A sputtering target which is composed of a sintered body of an oxide which contains at least indium, tin, and zinc and includes a spinel structure compound of Zn2SnO4 and a bixbyite structure compound of In2O3. A sputtering target includes indium, tin, zinc, and oxygen with only a peak ascribed to a bixbyite structure compound being substantially observed by X-ray diffraction (XRD).

Abstract: On a p-type conductive light absorption layer provided by a chalcopyrite structure compound that is layered bridging a pair of backside electrode layers provided on a side of a glass substrate, a light-transmissive n-type buffer layer that forms a p-n junction with the light absorption layer is layered. A light-transmissive transparent electrode layer is layered on the buffer layer to extend from a side of the light absorption layer and the buffer layer to one of the pair of backside electrode layers. The transparent electrode layer is formed in an amorphous film containing indium oxide and zinc oxide as primary components, the transparent electrode layer exhibiting a film stress of ±1×109 Pa or less. A photovoltaic element can be favorably processed without causing cracking and damage even by an easily processable mechanical scribing, so that productivity can be enhanced and yield rate can be improved.

Abstract: A transparent conductive film including an indium oxide, a tin oxide and at least one lanthanoid metal oxide, the film including a portion connected to a conductor, and at least the connection portion having crystallinity.

Abstract: A sputtering target which is composed of a sintered body of an oxide which contains at least indium, tin, and zinc and includes a spinel structure compound of Zn2SnO4 and a bixbyite structure compound of In2O3. A sputtering target includes indium, tin, zinc, and oxygen with only a peak ascribed to a bixbyite structure compound being substantially observed by X-ray diffraction (XRD).

Abstract: A transparent conductive film including an indium oxide, a tin oxide and at least one lanthanoid metal oxide, the film including a portion connected to a conductor, and at least the connection portion having crystallinity.

Abstract: A sputtering target which is formed of a sintered body including an oxide main components of which are In and Sm. A sputtering target in which a sintered body of an oxide including In and Sm as main components is doped with at least one element with an atomic valency of positive tetravalency or higher in an amount of 20 at. % or less relative to the total sum of all cation elements.

Abstract: A sputtering target which is formed of a sintered body including an oxide main components of which are In and Sm. A sputtering target in which a sintered body of an oxide including In and Sm as main components is doped with at least one element with an atomic valency of positive tetravalency or higher in an amount of 20 at. % or less relative to the total sum of all cation elements.

Abstract: In a sputtering target comprising at least indium oxide and zinc oxide, the atomic ratio represented by In/(In+Zn) is set to a value within the range of 0.75 to 0.97, a hexagonal layered compound represented by In2O3(ZnO)m wherein m is an integer of 2 to 20 is contained, and the crystal grain size of the hexagonal layered compound is set to a value of 5 &mgr;m or less.