Abstract: It is an object to provide a method of manufacturing a crystalline silicon device and a semiconductor device in which formation of cracks in a substrate, a base protective film, and a crystalline silicon film can be suppressed. First, a layer including a semiconductor film is formed over a substrate, and is heated. A thermal expansion coefficient of the substrate is 6×10?7/° C. to 38×10?7/° C., preferably 6×10?7/° C. to 31.8×10?7/° C. Next, the layer including the semiconductor film is irradiated with a laser beam to crystallize the semiconductor film so as to form a crystalline semiconductor film. Total stress of the layer including the semiconductor film is ?500 N/m to +50 N/m, preferably ?150 N/m to 0 N/m after the heating step.

Abstract: It is an object to provide a method of manufacturing a crystalline silicon device and a semiconductor device in which formation of cracks in a substrate, a base protective film, and a crystalline silicon film can be suppressed. First, a layer including a semiconductor film is formed over a substrate, and is heated. A thermal expansion coefficient of the substrate is 6×10?7/° C. to 38×10?7/° C., preferably 6×10?7/° C. to 31.8×10?7/° C. Next, the layer including the semiconductor film is irradiated with a laser beam to crystallize the semiconductor film so as to form a crystalline semiconductor film. Total stress of the layer including the semiconductor film is ?500 N/m to +50 N/m, preferably ?150 N/m to 0 N/m after the heating step.

Abstract: A photoelectric conversion device has a structure that includes a first amorphous silicon layer and a second amorphous silicon layer that are in contact with a single crystalline silicon substrate, and a first microcrystalline silicon layer with one conductivity type and a second microcrystalline silicon layer with a conductivity type that is opposite the one conductivity type that are in contact with the first and second amorphous silicon layers, respectively. The first and second microcrystalline silicon layers are formed using a plasma CVD apparatus that is suitable for high pressure film formation conditions.

Abstract: A single crystal semiconductor substrate is irradiated with ions that are generated by exciting a hydrogen gas and are accelerated with an ion doping apparatus, thereby forming a damaged region that contains a large amount of hydrogen. After the single crystal semiconductor substrate and a supporting substrate are bonded, the single crystal semiconductor substrate is heated to be separated along the damaged region. While a single crystal semiconductor layer separated from the single crystal semiconductor substrate is heated, this single crystal semiconductor layer is irradiated with a laser beam. The single crystal semiconductor layer undergoes re-single-crystallization by being melted through laser beam irradiation, thereby recovering its crystallinity and planarizing the surface of the single crystal semiconductor layer.

Abstract: An object is to provide a photoelectric conversion element with high conversion efficiency. In a photoelectric conversion element with a fine periodic structure on a light-receiving surface side, focus is given to the traveling direction of light that is reflected off another surface. The photoelectric conversion element may be given a structure in which a textured structure that reflects light to the other surface is provided, and light that travels from the light-receiving surface side to the other surface side is reflected so that a component that travels along the photoelectric conversion layer increases. By the distance traveled by the reflected light inside the photoelectric conversion layer increasing, the light that enters the photoelectric conversion element is more easily absorbed by the photoelectric conversion layer and less easily released from the light-receiving surface side, and a photoelectric conversion element with high conversion efficiency can be provided.

Abstract: A photoelectric conversion device including a single crystal silicon substrate; a first amorphous silicon layer in contact with a surface (a light-receiving surface) of the single crystal silicon substrate; a first polarity (p-type) impurity diffusion layer in contact with the first amorphous silicon layer; a second amorphous silicon layer in contact with a back surface of the single crystal silicon substrate; and a second polarity (n-type) impurity diffusion layer in contact with the second amorphous silicon layer, in which the first and second polarity impurity diffusion layers are microcrystalline silicon layers formed under a deposition condition where a pressure in a reaction chamber is adjusted to be greater than or equal to 450 Pa and less than or equal to 10000 Pa is provided.

Abstract: A fragile layer is formed in a region at a depth of less than 1000 nm from one surface of a single crystal semiconductor substrate, and a first impurity semiconductor layer and a first electrode are formed at the one surface side. After bonding the first electrode and a supporting substrate, the single crystal semiconductor substrate is separated using the fragile layer or the vicinity as a separation plane, thereby forming a first single crystal semiconductor layer over the supporting substrate. An amorphous semiconductor layer is formed on the first single crystal semiconductor layer, and a second single crystal semiconductor layer is formed by heat treatment for solid phase growth of the amorphous semiconductor layer. A second impurity semiconductor layer having a conductivity type opposite to that of the first impurity semiconductor layer and a second electrode are formed over the second single crystal semiconductor layer.

Abstract: A semiconductor substrate is irradiated with accelerated hydrogen ions, thereby forming a damaged region including a large amount of hydrogen. After a single crystal semiconductor substrate and a supporting substrate are bonded to each other, the semiconductor substrate is heated, so that the single crystal semiconductor substrate is separated in the damaged region. A single crystal semiconductor layer which is separated from the single crystal semiconductor substrate is irradiated with a laser beam. The single crystal semiconductor layer is melted by laser beam irradiation, whereby the single crystal semiconductor layer is recrystallized to recover its crystallinity and to planarized a surface of the single crystal semiconductor layer. After the laser beam irradiation, the single crystal semiconductor layer is heated at a temperature at which the single crystal semiconductor layer is not melted, so that the lifetime of the single crystal semiconductor layer is improved.

Abstract: To provide a high-performance semiconductor device using an SOI substrate in which a substrate having low heat resistance is used as a base substrate, to provide a high-performance semiconductor device without performing mechanical polishing, and to provide an electronic device using the semiconductor device, planarity of a semiconductor layer is improved and defects in the semiconductor layer are reduced by laser beam irradiation. Accordingly, a high-performance semiconductor device can be provided without performing mechanical polishing. In addition, a semiconductor device is manufactured using a region having the most excellent characteristics in a region irradiated with the laser beam. Specifically, instead of the semiconductor layer in a region which is irradiated with the edge portion of the laser beam, the semiconductor layer in a region which is irradiated with portions of the laser beam except the edge portion is used as a semiconductor element.

Abstract: There are provided a semiconductor device having a structure which can realize not only suppression of a punch-through current but also reuse of a silicon wafer used for bonding, in manufacturing a semiconductor device using an SOI technique, and a manufacturing method thereof. A semiconductor film into which an impurity imparting a conductivity type opposite to that of a source region and a drain region is implanted is formed over a substrate, and a single crystal semiconductor film is bonded to the semiconductor film by an SOI technique to form a stacked semiconductor film. A channel formation region is formed using the stacked semiconductor film, thereby suppressing a punch-through current in a semiconductor device.

Abstract: A semiconductor substrate is provided by a method suitable for mass production. Further, a semiconductor substrate having an excellent characteristic with effective use of resources is provided.

Abstract: The purpose is manufacturing a photoelectric conversion device with excellent photoelectric conversion characteristics typified by a solar cell with effective use of a silicon material. A single crystal silicon layer is irradiated with a laser beam through an optical modulator to form an uneven structure on a surface thereof. The single crystal silicon layer is obtained in the following manner; an embrittlement layer is formed in a single crystal silicon substrate; one surface of a supporting substrate and one surface of an insulating layer formed over the single crystal silicon substrate are disposed to be in contact and bonded; heat treatment is performed; and the single crystal silicon layer is formed over the supporting substrate by separating part of the single crystal silicon substrate fixed to the supporting substrate along the embrittlement layer or a periphery of the embrittlement layer.

Abstract: A photoelectric conversion device in which photoelectric conversion in a light-absorption layer is efficiently performed is provided. In the photoelectric conversion device, a light-transmitting conductive film which has a high effect of passivation of defects on a silicon surface and improves the reflectance on a back electrode side is provided between the back electrode and one of semiconductor layers for generation of an internal electric field. The light-transmitting conductive film includes an organic compound and an inorganic compound. The organic compound includes a material having an excellent hole-transport property. The inorganic compound includes a transition metal oxide having an electron-accepting property.

Abstract: An object is to provide a photoelectric conversion device in which the amount of light loss due to light absorption in a window layer is small and light efficiency is high. A photoelectric conversion device, having a p-i-n junction, in which a light-transmitting semiconductor with p-type conductivity, a first silicon semiconductor layer with i-type conductivity, and a second silicon semiconductor layer with n-type conductivity are stacked between a pair of electrodes, is formed. The light-transmitting semiconductor layer is formed using an organic compound and an inorganic compound. A high hole-transport material is used for the organic compound, and a transition metal oxide having an electron-accepting property is used for the inorganic compound.

Abstract: An object is to provide a photoelectric conversion device which has little loss of light absorption in a window layer and has high conversion efficiency. A photoelectric conversion device including a crystalline silicon substrate having n-type conductivity and a light-transmitting semiconductor layer having p-type conductivity between a pair of electrodes is formed. In the photoelectric conversion device, a p-n junction is formed between the crystalline silicon, substrate and the light-transmitting semiconductor layer, and the light-transmitting semiconductor layer serves as a window layer. The light-transmitting semiconductor layer includes an organic compound and an inorganic compound. As the organic compound and the inorganic compound, a material having a high hole-transport property and a transition metal oxide having an electron-accepting property are respectively used.

Abstract: A photoelectric conversion device in which photoelectric conversion in a light-absorption region in a crystalline silicon substrate is efficiently performed is provided. In the photoelectric conversion device, a light-transmitting conductive film which has a high effect of passivation of defects on a silicon surface and improves the reflectance oh a back electrode side is provided between the back electrode and the crystalline silicon substrate. The light-transmitting conductive film includes an organic compound arid an inorganic compound. The organic compound includes a material having an excellent hole-transport property. The inorganic compound includes a transition metal oxide having ah electron-accepting property.

Abstract: A fragile layer is formed in a region at a depth of less than 1000 nm from one surface of a single crystal semiconductor substrate, and a first impurity semiconductor layer and a first electrode are formed at the one surface side. After bonding the first electrode and a supporting substrate, the single crystal semiconductor substrate is separated using the fragile layer or the vicinity as a separation plane, thereby forming a first single crystal semiconductor layer over the supporting substrate. An amorphous semiconductor layer is formed on the first single crystal semiconductor layer, and a second single crystal semiconductor layer is formed by heat treatment for solid phase growth of the amorphous semiconductor layer. A second impurity semiconductor layer having a conductivity type opposite to that of the first impurity semiconductor layer and a second electrode are formed over the second single crystal semiconductor layer.

Abstract: An object is to provide a photoelectric conversion element with high conversion efficiency. In a photoelectric conversion element with a fine periodic structure on a light-receiving surface side, focus is given to the traveling direction of light that is reflected off another surface. The photoelectric conversion element may be given a structure in which a textured structure that reflects light to the other surface is provided, and light that travels from the light-receiving surface side to the other surface side is reflected so that a component that travels along the photoelectric conversion layer increases. By the distance traveled by the reflected light inside the photoelectric conversion layer increasing, the light that enters the photoelectric conversion element is more easily absorbed by the photoelectric conversion layer and less easily released from the light-receiving surface side, and a photoelectric conversion element with high conversion efficiency can be provided.

Abstract: A photoelectric conversion device has a structure that includes a first amorphous silicon layer and a second amorphous silicon layer that are in contact with a single crystalline silicon substrate, and a first microcrystalline silicon layer with one conductivity type and a second microcrystalline silicon layer with a conductivity type that is opposite the one conductivity type that are in contact with the first and second amorphous silicon layers, respectively. The first and second microcrystalline silicon layers are formed using a plasma CVD apparatus that is suitable for high pressure film formation conditions.

Abstract: A stack including at least an insulating layer, a first electrode, and a first impurity semiconductor layer is provided over a supporting substrate; a first semiconductor layer to which an impurity element imparting one conductivity type is added is formed over the first impurity semiconductor layer; a second semiconductor layer to which an impurity element imparting the one conductivity type is added is formed over the first semiconductor layer under a condition different from that of the first semiconductor layer; crystallinity of the first semiconductor layer and crystallinity of the second semiconductor layer are improved by a solid-phase growth method to form a second impurity semiconductor layer; an impurity element imparting the one conductivity type and an impurity element imparting a conductivity type different from the one conductivity type are added to the second impurity semiconductor layer; and a gate electrode layer is formed via a gate insulating layer.