Abstract: A solar-battery array comprising a plurality of solar batteries, which is characterized by satisfying the relationship of V2<0 and V1+V2>0, where V1 is the voltage to ground of the positive-pole terminal at the time of maximum output of the solar-battery array, and V2 is the voltage to ground of the negative-pole terminal at the time of maximum output of the same and a photovoltaic power generation system having such an array are disclosed, whereby the effects of an electric shock on the human body can lessen even when you touch any electric circuit of the solar-battery arrays.

Abstract: The present invention provides a photovoltaic element including a structure with a first pin-junction having an i-type semiconductor layer made of amorphous silicon and a second pin-junction having an i-type semiconductor layer contains crystalline silicon which are arranged in series on a substrate, wherein the first pin-junction has a first intermediate layer at a p/i interface and a second intermediate layer at an n/i interface, and the second pin-junction has a third intermediate layer at a p/i interface and a fourth intermediate layer at an n/i interface, and wherein the second intermediate layer and the third intermediate layer are made of amorphous silicon and the first intermediate layer and the fourth intermediate layer contain crystalline silicon, or wherein the second intermediate layer and the third intermediate layer contain crystalline silicon and the first intermediate layer and the fourth intermediate layer are made of amorphous silicon.

Abstract: A gas adsorptive member is disposed in a space communicating with film deposition chambers, and deposition films are deposited while continuously feeding gas components released from this member, thereby enabling the high quality and uniform deposition films to be formed on the substrate with good reproducibility.

Abstract: In a sputtering method for forming a film on a substrate in a film forming space while monitoring emission intensity of plasma, the method comprises the steps of detecting a thickness of the film formed on the substrate; comparing a detected value with a preset value of the film thickness; and deciding a target value of the emission intensity in accordance with a compared result. With the method, a transparent conductive film is formed which has high uniformity in film thickness, sheet resistance and transmittance and hence has superior characteristics.

Abstract: There is disclosed an exhaust processing process of a processing apparatus for processing a substrate or a film, which comprises after the processing of the substrate or the film, introducing a non-reacted gas and/or a by-product into a trap means comprising a filament comprised of a high-melting metal material comprising as a main component at least one of tungsten, molybdenum and rhenium; and processing the non-reacted gas and/or the by-product inside the trap means. This makes it possible to prevent lowering in exhaust conductance to lengthen the maintenance cycle of the processing apparatus, and to provide a high-quality product (processed substrate or film).

Abstract: Provided is a stacked photovoltaic device characterized in that: a first i-type semiconductor layer comprises amorphous silicon hydride, and second and subsequent i-type semiconductor layers comprise amorphous silicon hydride or microcrystalline silicon, the i-type semiconductor layers being stacked in order from a light incidence side; and when an open circuit voltage is assigned Voc in the case where a pin photoelectric single element is manufactured using a pin element having the i-type semiconductor layer made of microcrystalline silicon of pin elements having the second and subsequent i-type semiconductor layers, respectively, and a layer thickness of the i-type semiconductor layer concerned is assigned t, a short-circuit photoelectric current density of the stacked photovoltaic device is controlled by the pin element including the i-type semiconductor layer having the largest value of Voc/t.

Abstract: The solar cell string of the present invention comprises a plurality of solar cells interconnected in series and/or parallel, one positive terminal, and one negative terminal, wherein at least a part of an electric line thereof is not housed in an insulating envelope, and the line is grounded at an electrical middle point between the positive and negative terminals or a point on the side of the negative terminal with respect to the electrical middle point, whereby an environmental resistant coating significantly responsible for a cost of a solar cell module and an insulating coating of a member for interconnecting solar cells in series and/or parallel can be simplified, and safety of an exposed electric line resulting from the simplification of the environmental resistant coating and the insulating coating can be improved.

Abstract: A plating apparatus includes a plating vessel for holding a plating bath containing at least metal ions, a conveying device for conveying a long conductive substrate and immersing the long conductive substrate in the plating bath, a facing electrode disposed in the plating bath so as to face one surface of the conductive substrate, a voltage application device for performing plating on the one surface of the conductive substrate by applying a voltage between the conductive substrate and the facing electrode, and a film-deposition suppression device fixedly disposed in the plating vessel so that at least a portion of the film-deposition suppression means is close to shorter-direction edges of the conductive substrate. At least a portion of the film-deposition suppression device close to the shorter-direction edges of the conductive substrate is conductive.

Abstract: There is disclosed an exhaust processing process of a processing apparatus for processing a substrate or a film, which comprises after the processing of the substrate or the film, introducing a non-reacted gas and/or a by-product into a trap means comprising a filament comprised of a high-melting metal material comprising as a main component at least one of tungsten, molybdenum and rhenium; and processing the non-reacted gas and/or the by-product inside the trap means. This makes it possible to prevent lowering in exhaust conductance, to lengthen the maintenance cycle of the processing apparatus, and to provide a high-quality product (processed substrate or film).

Abstract: An electrode material for a rechargeable lithium battery, characterized in that said electrode material comprises a fine powder of a silicon-based material whose principal component is silicon element, said fine powder having an average particle size (R) in a range of 0.1 &mgr;m≦R<0.5 &mgr;m. An electrode structural body for a rechargeable lithium battery, having an electrode material layer comprising said silicon-based material fine powder. A rechargeable lithium battery whose anode comprising said electrode structural body.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method of forming a zinc oxide film on a conductive substrate, which comprises dipping the conductive substrate and a counter electrode in an aqueous solution containing at least nitric acid ion and zinc ion and supplying a current between these electrodes to form a zinc oxide film, wherein the aqueous solution further contains polycarboxylic acid in which a carboxyl radical is bonded to each of carbon having sp2 hybrid orbital, or its ester with a concentration of 0.5 &mgr;mol/L to 500 &mgr;mol/L. Thereby, it is possible to form in a short time a thin film having texture structure exhibiting an optical confinement effect, to prevent abnormal growth of a deposited film, and to obtain a zinc oxide thin film having excellent uniformity and adhesion on a surface thereof where the film is formed. Also, by applying the photovoltaic device to a stacked structure, it is possible to enhance the photoelectric characteristics and mass producibility.

Abstract: A gas adsorptive member is disposed in a space communicating with film deposition chambers, and deposition films are deposited while continuously feeding gas components released from this member, thereby enabling the high quality and uniform deposition films to be formed on the substrate with good reproducibility.

Abstract: A solar-battery array comprising a plurality of solar batteries, which is characterized by satisfying the relationship of V2<0 and V1+V2>0, where V1 is the voltage to ground of the positive-pole terminal at the time of maximum output of the solar-battery array, and V2 is the voltage to ground of the negative-pole terminal at the time of maximum output of the same and a photovoltaic power generation system having such an array are disclosed, whereby the effects of an electric shock on the human body can lessen even when you touch any electric circuit of the solar-battery arrays.

Abstract: A gas adsorptive member is disposed in a space communicating with film deposition chambers, and deposition films are deposited while continuously feeding gas components released from this member, thereby enabling the high quality and uniform deposition films to be formed on the substrate with good reproducibility.

Abstract: The solar cell string of the present invention comprises a plurality of solar cells interconnected in series and/or parallel, one positive terminal, and one negative terminal, wherein at least a part of an electric line thereof is not housed in an insulating envelope, and the line is grounded at an electrical middle point between the positive and negative terminals or a point on the side of the negative terminal with respect to the electrical middle point, whereby an environmental resistant coating significantly responsible for a cost of a solar cell module and an insulating coating of a member for interconnecting solar cells in series and/or parallel can be simplified, and safety of an exposed electric line resulting from the simplification of the environmental resistant coating and the insulating coating can be improved.

Abstract: In a sputtering method for forming a film on a substrate in a film forming space while monitoring emission intensity of plasma, the method comprises the steps of detecting a thickness of the film formed on the substrate; comparing a detected value with a preset value of the film thickness; and deciding a target value of the emission intensity in accordance with a compared result. With the method, a transparent conductive film is formed which has high uniformity in film thickness, sheet resistance and transmittance and hence has superior characteristics.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method of forming a zinc oxide film on a conductive substrate, which comprises dipping the conductive substrate and a counter electrode in an aqueous solution containing at least nitric acid ion and zinc ion and supplying a current between these electrodes to form a zinc oxide film, wherein the aqueous solution further contains polycarboxylic acid in which a carboxyl radical is bonded to each of carbon having sp2 hybrid orbital, or its ester with a concentration of 0.5 &mgr;mol/L to 500 &mgr;mol/L. Thereby, it is possible to form in a short time a thin film having texture structure exhibiting an optical confinement effect, to prevent abnormal growth of a deposited film, and to obtain a zinc oxide thin film having excellent uniformity and adhesion on a surface thereof where the film is formed. Also, by applying the photovoltaic device to a stacked structure, it is possible to enhance the photoelectric characteristics and mass producibility.

Abstract: An electroluminescence device having a transistor substrate comprising drain electrode pads, each being connected to a drain of a thin film transistor, and capacitors connected to the respective drain electrode pads, and an electroluminescence substrate comprising pairs of electrodes and electroluminescence members each provided between a pair of electrodes, arranged along a plurality of rows and columns, wherein the thin film transistor substrate and the electroluminescence substrate are placed opposite to each other so that the drain electrode pads and the electroluminescence members are opposed to each other, and wherein each drain electrode pad and one electrode of a pair of electrodes are connected through an adhesive electric connection member.

Abstract: A chemical-reaction inducing means is provided in an exhaust line connecting a processing space for subjecting a substrate or a film to plasma processing to an exhaust means, and at least either an unreacted gas or byproduct exhausted from the processing space are caused to chemically react without allowing plasma in the processing space to reach the chemical-reaction inducing means, thereby improving the processing ability of the chemical-reaction inducing means to process the unreacted gas or byproduct.

Abstract: A gas adsorptive member is disposed in a space communicating with film deposition chambers, and deposition films are deposited while continuously feeding gas components released from this member, thereby enabling the high quality and uniform deposition films to be formed on the substrate with good reproducibility.