Abstract: The superconducting device according to the present invention is provided with a superconducting thin film of the Tl-Ba-Ca-Cu oxide deposited on a substrate thereof. Consequently, the device can be produced at a low cost because no rare earth elements are required.The superconducting thin film according to the present invention is formed by sputtering on substrate from a Tl-Ba-Ca-Cu oxide target by means of the sputtering method, followed by annealing in an oxidizing atmosphere. In this way, according to the present invention, it is possible to produce a superconducting thin film of the Tl-Ba-Ca-Cu oxide in a simple way by using an ordinary sputtering apparatus.

Abstract: The superconducting device according to the present invention is provided with a superconducting thin film of the Bi-Sr-Ca-Cu oxide deposited on a substrate thereof. Consequently, the device can be produced at a low cost because no rare earth elements are required.The superconducting thin film according to the present invention is formed by sputtering onto a substrate from a Bi-Sr-Ca-Cu oxide target, followed by annealing in an oxidizing atmosphere. In this way, it is possible to produce a superconducting thin film of the Bi-Sr-Ca-Cu oxide in a simple way by using an ordinary sputtering apparatus. In this method, it is preferable that a MgO substrate be used and the optimum annealing temperature is about 880.degree. C.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a superconducting material that is, substances having compositions expressed by empirical formulae Y.sub.1-x Ba.sub.x CuO.sub.3, YBa.sub.2 Cu.sub.3 O.sub.7 and LnBa.sub.2 Cu.sub.3 O.sub.7 and critical temperatures of 90 K. or more, and to a method of producing the same in which for example Y.sub.2 O.sub.3, BaCO.sub.3 and CuO are blended at a mixture molar ratio of 1:2:6 and the resulting mixture is molded under pressure followed by slowly cooling in an oxidizing atmosphere.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a photovoltaic device having a plurality of a photoelectric converting regions formed on an insulating surface of a substrate electrically connected in series, comprises the steps of dividing a first large area electrode layer on an insulating surface of a substrate into a plurality of first electrode layer portions corresponding to a plurality of photoelectric converting regions, depositing in succession a film-like photoelectric semiconductor layer and a second electrode layer lying continuously on the divided first electrode layers, and removing portions of the photoelectric semiconductor layer and the second electrode layer formed continuously to divide them into a plurality of portions corresponding to the plurality of the photoelectric converting regions.