Abstract: A photovoltaic element has a substrate with a conductive surface, a zinc oxide layer containing fluorine and a non-single-crystal semiconductor layer, where the fluorine content of the zinc oxide layer (i) varies across the thickness of the layer, (ii) is at a minimum at the interface with the substrate and (iii) increases toward the semiconductor layer.

Abstract: A method for producing a photo voltaic device, wherein the device comprises a base member including a substrate. A reflecting layer and a reflection enhancing layer are formed on the base member. A p-i-n structure formed of n-type, i-type and p-type semiconductor layers containing silicon atoms having a non-single crystal structure, is also formed on the base member at least once. The method comprises the steps of (a) depositing a material constituting the reflecting layer, at a substrate temperature of from 200.degree. to 500.degree. C. to form the reflecting layer; (b) thereafter lowering the substrate temperature to 100.degree. C. or below; and (c) thereafter depositing a material constituting the reflection enhancing layer on the reflecting layer at a substrate temperature of from 200.degree. to 400.degree. C., to form the reflection enhancing layer.

Abstract: A photovoltaic element comprising a substrate and a multi-layered semiconductor active layer having a pin junction structure disposed on said substrate, said multi-layered semiconductor layer comprising a non-single crystal semiconductor layer of n- or p-type, a non-single crystal i-type semiconductor layer and a non-single crystal semiconductor layer of p- or n-type being stacked in this order from the substrate side, characterized in that said i-type semiconductor layer comprises a three-layered structure comprising a non-single crystal layer (b) formed by means of a microwave plasma CVD process interposed between a pair of non-single crystal layers (a) and (c) each formed by means of a RF plasma CVD process, and said i-type layer (b) is a non-single crystal i-type layer formed by means of the microwave plasma process from a mixture of a silane series gas not containing chlorine atom(s), a chlorine-containing raw material gas in an amount of 10% or less of the total amount of the chlorine-free silane series

Abstract: A photovoltaic device has a semiconductor layer; electrodes and a surface protection layer adjacent to the light incident side. Granules of a material different from those of the surface protection layer are disposed in the surface protection layer. The granules in the surface protection layer have an average grain size of 0.001-20 microns, a surface density S from 0.2 to 0.9 and/or a density per volume from 0.001 to 0.5.To produce a surface protecting layer for a photovoltaic device in which the surface protecting layer has granules at a light incident side the surface of a photovoltaic device is painted with a liquid resin containing the granules.

Abstract: The present invention provides photoelectric conversion elements, wherein the long wavelength sensitivity, the fill factor, and the photoelectric conversion efficiency are improved. In order to provide photoelectric conversion elements wherein light deterioration is reduced, the field durability enhanced, and the temperature characteristic improved, a p-layer composed of amorphous silicon type semiconductor containing hydrogen, an i-layer composed of amorphous silicon-germanium type semiconductor containing hydrogen and further including microcrystalline germanium, and an n-layer composed of amorphous silicon type semiconductor containing hydrogen are laminated on a substrate, the i-layer being formed at a substrate temperature from 400.degree. to 600.degree. C. by microwave plasma CVD, the particle diameter of said microcrystalline germanium ranging from 50 to 500 angstroms. Also, the content of microcrystalline germanium varies in the layer thickness direction.

Abstract: A non-monocrystalline silicon semiconductor device having a pin junction is formed by forming a first doped semiconductor layer of a first conductivity disposed on a substrate. A first intrinsic layer is deposited on the first doped semiconductor layer employing RF energy. A second intrinsic layer is deposited on the first intrinsic layer employing microwave energy and RF energy simultaneously. A semiconductor precursor gas, including germanium and a semiconductor precursor gas including silicon are supplied to the second intrinsic layer during its formation. The content of the semiconductor precursor gas containing germanium is greater than the semiconductor gas including silicon in the layer thickness direction in the second intrinsic layer at a P-layer side. A second doped semiconductor layer is deposited on the second intrinsic layer.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a photoelectrical conversion device in which recombination of carriers excited by light is prevented and the open voltage and the carrier range of positive holes are improved and to provide a generating system using the photoelectrical conversion device. The photoelectrical conversion device includes a p-layer, an i-layer, and an n-layer, wherein the photoelectrical conversion device being formed by stacking the p-layer, the i-layer and the n-layer each of which is made of non-single-crystal silicon semiconductor, the i-layer contains germanium atoms, the band gap of the i-layer is smoothly changed in a direction of the thickness of the i-layer, the minimum value of the band gap is positioned adjacent to the p-layer from the central position of the i-layer and both of a valence control agent to serve as a donor and another valence control agent to serve as an acceptor are doped into the i-layer.

Abstract: A non-monocrystalline silicon carbide semiconductor comprises carbon atoms, silicon atoms, and at least one of hydrogen atoms and halogen atoms, the non-monocrystalline silicon carbide semiconductor having therein microvoids with an average radius of not more than 3.5 .ANG. at a microvoid density of not more than 1.times.10.sup.19 cm.sup.-3.

Abstract: The present invention provides photoelectric conversion elements, wherein the long wavelength sensitivity, the fill factor, and the photoelectric conversion efficiency are improved. In order to provide photoelectric conversion elements wherein light deterioration is reduced, the field durability enhanced, and the temperature characteristic improved, a p-layer composed of amorphous silicon type semiconductor containing hydrogen, an i-layer composed of amorphous silicon-germanium type semiconductor containing hydrogen and further including microcrystalline germanium, and an n-layer composed of amorphous silicon type semiconductor containing hydrogen are laminated on a substrate, the i-layer being formed at a substrate temperature from 400.degree. to 600.degree. C. by microwave plasma CVD, the particle diameter of said microcrystalline germanium ranging from 50 to 500 angstroms. Also, the content of microcrystalline germanium varies in the layer thickness direction.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a photovoltaic device and a method of producing the photovoltaic device which can prevent recombination of photo-excited carriers and which permits increases in the open circuit voltage and the carrier range. The photovoltaic device of the present invention has a laminate structure composed of at least a p-type layer of a silicon non-single crystal semiconductor, a photoactive layer having a plurality of i-type layers, and an n-type layer. The photoactive layer has a laminate structure composed of a first i-type layer deposited on the side of the n-type layer by a microwave plasma CVD process, and a second i-type layer deposited on the side of said the p-type layer by an RF plasma CVD process.

Abstract: The present invention provides a photovoltaic element in which the open-circuit voltage and the path length of holes are improved by preventing the recombination of photoexcited carriers.The p-i-n junction type photovoltaic element is composed of a p-type layer, an i-type layer of a laminated structure consisting of an i-type layer formed by RF plasma CVD on the p-type layer side and an i-type layer formed by microwave (.mu.W) CVD on the n-type layer side, or an i-type layer formed by microwave (.mu.W) plasma CVD on the p-type layer side and an i-type layer formed by RF plasma CVD on the n-type layer side, characterized in that the i-type layer formed by .mu.W plasma CVD is formed by a process in which a lower .mu.W energy and a higher RF energy than the .mu.

Abstract: A photovoltaic device having a semiconductor layer; front and back electrodes; and a surface protection layer adjacent to the light incident side, wherein granules of a material different from that of the surface protection layer are disposed in the surface protection layer.

Abstract: An apparatus for repairing a defective semiconductor device having an electrically short-circuited portion, wherein the semiconductor device includes a semiconductor thin film and a conductive thin film disposed in the named order on a conductive surface of a substrate and in which the conductive thin film and the conductive surface of the substrate are electrically short-circuited at a pinhole occurring in the semiconductor thin film to form an electrically short-circuited portion so that the semiconductor device is defective. The apparatus includes a substrate holding unit for holding the substrate of the defective semiconductor device and an electrode arranged above the substrate holding unit so that, when the defective semiconductor is positioned on the substrate holding unit, there is a predetermined distance between the electrode and the conductive thin film of the defective semiconductor device, the electrode being capable of moving in relation to the substrate of the defective semiconductor device.

Abstract: The present invention aims to provide a photovoltaic element which can maintain high initial characteristics over long term usage even under severe environments, and can be mass-produced with high yield.A photovoltaic element in which a light reflecting layer, a light reflection multiplying layer, an n-type layer, an i-type layer, and a p-type layer composed of a non-single crystal semiconductor material comprising at least silicon, and a transparent electrode are successively formed on a conductive substrate, characterized in that said light reflecting layer comprises silver or copper atoms as the main constituent and further contains at least one of oxygen, nitrogen, and carbon.Also, in another embodiment, this photovoltaic element is characterized in that said light reflecting layer comprises silver as the main constituent, and further contains lead, lead and gold, or lead, gold, and a first transition group metal in an amount of 2 to 100 ppm.

Abstract: A non-single crystalline semiconductor containing at least one kind of atoms selected from the group consisting of silicon atoms (Si) and germanium atoms (Ge) as a matrix, and at least one kind of atoms selected from the group consisting of hydrogen atoms (H) and halogen atoms (X), wherein said non-single crystalline semiconductor has an average radius of 3.5 .ANG. or less and a density of 1.times.10.sup.19 (cm.sup.-3) or less as for microvoids contained therein. The non-single crystalline semiconductor excels in semiconductor characteristics and adhesion with other materials and are effectively usable as a constituent element of various semiconductor devices.

Abstract: A non-monocrystalline silicon carbide semiconductor comprises carbon atoms, silicon atoms, and at least one of hydrogen atoms and halogen atoms, the non-monocrystalline silicon carbide semiconductor having therein microvoids with an average radius of not more than 3.5.ANG. at a microvoid density of not more than 1.times.10.sup.19 cm.sup.-3.

Abstract: A photovoltaic device includes a conductive substrate, a semiconductor layer formed on the conductive substrate and made of a non-single-crystal semiconductor material containing at least silicon atoms, and a transparent electrode stacked on the semiconductor layer, wherein the transparent electrode is made of a conductive oxide containing carbon atoms, nitrogen atoms, or both and the carbon and/or nitrogen atoms are contained in larger quantities in the portion of the transparent electrode adjacent to the semiconductor layer.

Abstract: A solar cell comprising a conductive substrate and semiconductor layers laminated on the conductive substrate, said laminate comprising a p-type layer composed of a non-single crystal Si material, an i-type layer serving as an active layer and an n-type layer, wherein a diamond layer having an uneven surface and containing a valence electron controlling agent is interposed between the conductive substrate and the semiconductor layers.

Abstract: A method for repairing a defective semiconductor device, the defective semiconductor device including a semiconductor thin film and a conductive thin film, disposed in the named order, on a conductive surface of a substrate, such that the conductive thin film and the conductive surface of the substrate are electrically short-circuited at a pinhole occurring in the semiconductor thin film to form an electrically short-circuited portion.

Abstract: A speaker system including a common input terminal for receiving an audio signal to be acoustically radiated; several speaker units; several digital filters connected between the common input terminal and the speaker units, and a filter coefficient for each of the digital filters. The speaker units are arranged linearly, in a matrix form or in a honeycomb form.