Abstract: A method for manufacturing a rod with an optical thin film which comprises forming a rod block by arranging a plurality of rods each having a circular cross section in parallel to one another along the axis of each rod and by allowing a resin to enter gaps between rods adjacent to one another to fix the rods to one another. The rod block is cut into a predetermined length. The endfaces of each rod positioned on the cut endface of the rod block are then polished. An optical thin film is formed on the polished endfaces of each rod. The resin has a melting point higher than the temperature used in forming the film. The rods are separated from one another by removing the resin from the rod block.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a rod with an optical thin film which comprises forming a rod block by arranging a plurality of rods each having a circular cross section in parallel to one another along the axis of each rod and by allowing a resin to enter gaps between rods adjacent to one another to fix the rods to one another. The rod block is cut into a predetermined length. The endfaces of each rod positioned on the cut endface of the rod block are then polished. An optical thin film is formed on the polished endfaces of each rod. The resin has a melting point higher than the temperature used in forming the film. The rods are separated from one another by removing the resin from the rod block.

Abstract: A substrate for a photoelectric conversion device that is effective in trapping light in a photovoltaic layer and can be manufactured by industrial mass-production, a method of manufacturing the same, and a photoelectric conversion device using the same. On a glass sheet containing an alkaline component, a first undercoating film containing tin oxide as a main component, a second undercoating film, and a conductive film containing tin oxide as a main component are formed in this order, thus obtaining a substrate. The first undercoating film is formed by a thermal decomposition oxidation reaction of coating-film forming materials containing chlorine on glass with a temperature of at least 600° C. In the first undercoating film, holes are formed without an after-treatment. The surface of the conductive film above the holes has larger irregularities, thus scattering incident light on a photovoltaic unit.

Abstract: A low emissivity (low-E) glass and glass articles made of the low emissivity glass are provided, which permit controlling the solar heat shading property within a certain range without spoiling the transparency and heat insulating property thereof, to thereby realize a comfortable living condition in a wide region of the world or in a wide location of installment. A plurality of metallic oxide based films comprising metallic oxide are laminated on the surface of a glass substrate. The metallic oxide based films include a tin oxide based film containing antimony (SnSbOx film), and a tin oxide based film containing fluorine (SnO2:F film), and further may include a tin oxide based film consisting essentially of tin oxide, and a silicon oxide based film. The SnSbOx film contains antimony in an amount of 0.01 to 0.2 in terms of mole ratio relative to an amount of tin (=Sb mol/Sn mol), to avoid an excessive decrease in visible light transmittance.

Abstract: A photovoltaic device comprising a transparent substrate, a transparent conductive film, a semiconductor thin film, and a metallic electrode film, the three film being formed on one side of the substrate. The distribution of thickness of the transparent conductive film is within a range of +/−10% of the center thickness. A transparent thin film including at least one layer is formed between the transparent substrate and the transparent conductive film. The colors a* and b* of light reflected from the transparent substrate on which the light is incident vary in the range of +/−5 of the colors a* and b*.

Abstract: A transparent substrate, a transparent conductive film, photoelectric conversion units, and a back electrode are stacked sequentially from a side on which light is incident. Further, intermediate films are formed between the transparent substrate and the transparent conductive film. The intermediate films are formed so that the relationship of R1<R2×0.8 is satisfied, wherein R1 represents an average reflectance in a wavelength region between (&lgr;−50) nm and (&lgr;+50) nm, where &lgr; (nm) represents a wavelength of the light allowing the photoelectric conversion units to have an optimal spectral sensitivity characteristic, and R2 denotes an average reflectance, in the wavelength region, of the photoelectric conversion device that does not include the intermediate film. In a tandem-type device including plural photoelectric conversion units, intermediate films are formed so that the average reflectance in the wavelength range is decreased in each photoelectric conversion unit.

Abstract: A photovoltaic device comprises a transparent conductive film, a semiconductor thin film, and a metallic electrode film successively deposited on one surface of a transparent substrate