Patents by Inventor Hiroomi Miyahara
Hiroomi Miyahara has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
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Patent number: 8507312Abstract: An object is to obtain a high-efficiency photoelectric conversion device having a crystalline silicon i-layer in a photoelectric conversion layer. Disclosed is a fabrication method for a photoelectric conversion device that includes a step of forming, on a substrate, a photoelectric conversion layer having an i-layer formed mainly of crystalline silicon. The method includes the steps of determining an upper limit of an impurity concentration in the i-layer according to the Raman ratio of the i-layer; and forming the i-layer so as to have a value equal to or less than the determined upper limit of the impurity concentration. Alternatively, an upper limit of impurity-gas concentration in a film-formation atmosphere is determined according to the Raman ratio of the i-layer, and the i-layer is formed while controlling the impurity-gas concentration so as to have a value equal to or less than the determined upper limit.Type: GrantFiled: May 7, 2010Date of Patent: August 13, 2013Assignee: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.Inventors: Hiroomi Miyahara, Saneyuki Goya, Satoshi Sakai, Tatsuyuki Nishimiya
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Patent number: 8394709Abstract: A process for producing a high-performance photovoltaic device by depositing a high-quality crystalline silicon layer, and a deposition apparatus for depositing the high-quality crystalline silicon layer. A process for producing a photovoltaic device that comprises forming a crystalline silicon-based photovoltaic layer comprising an i-layer on a substrate using a plasma-enhanced CVD method, wherein formation of the i-layer comprises an initial layer deposition stage and a bulk i-layer deposition stage, and the initial layer deposition stage comprises depositing the initial layer using a silane-based gas flow rate during the initial layer deposition stage that is lower than the silane-based gas flow rate during the bulk i-layer deposition stage, with the deposition time for the initial layer deposition stage set to not less than 0.Type: GrantFiled: October 2, 2009Date of Patent: March 12, 2013Assignee: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.Inventors: Hiroomi Miyahara, Kengo Yamaguchi
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Patent number: 8263193Abstract: A vacuum treatment method and a vacuum treatment apparatus are provided in which the SiH2/SiH ratio does not increase even when the deposition rate is increased, thereby deterioration in the film quality is prevented and a high level of productivity can be achieved. A vacuum treatment method comprising the steps of heating a substrate (8) disposed inside a deposition chamber (6) under a reduced pressure atmosphere using a heat spreader (a heating device) (5), and supplying electric power to a discharge electrode (3) disposed in a position facing the substrate (8), thereby conducting a deposition on the substrate (8), wherein the deposition is conducted in a state where the temperature difference between the substrate (8) and the discharge electrode (3) is not more than 30° C. The deposition may also be conducted with the gap between the substrate (8) and the discharge electrode (3) set to not more than 7.5 mm.Type: GrantFiled: January 30, 2008Date of Patent: September 11, 2012Assignee: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.Inventors: Hiroomi Miyahara, Tatsuyuki Nishimiya
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Publication number: 20120135561Abstract: An object is to obtain a high-efficiency photoelectric conversion device having a crystalline silicon i-layer in a photoelectric conversion layer. Disclosed is a fabrication method for a photoelectric conversion device that includes a step of forming, on a substrate, a photoelectric conversion layer having an i-layer formed mainly of crystalline silicon. The method includes the steps of determining an upper limit of an impurity concentration in the i-layer according to the Raman ratio of the i-layer; and forming the i-layer so as to have a value equal to or less than the determined upper limit of the impurity concentration. Alternatively, an upper limit of impurity-gas concentration in a film-formation atmosphere is determined according to the Raman ratio of the i-layer, and the i-layer is formed while controlling the impurity-gas concentration so as to have a value equal to or less than the determined upper limit.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 7, 2010Publication date: May 31, 2012Applicant: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.Inventors: Hiroomi Miyahara, Saneyuki Goya, Satoshi Sakai, Tatsuyuki Nishimiya
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Publication number: 20110308735Abstract: A discharge chamber formed of a ridge waveguide having ridge electrodes that are disposed facing each other and that generate plasma therebetween; a gas supplying portion that is disposed adjacent to the discharge chamber and that supplies source gas, which is used to form the plasma, toward the ridge electrodes; a substrate that is disposed at a position such that the gas supplying portion is flanked by the substrate and the discharge chamber and that is subjected to the processing by the plasma; a low-pressure vessel that accommodates thereinside at least the discharge chamber, the gas supplying portion, and the substrate; and an exhaust portion that is communicated at a position in the low-pressure vessel such that this position and the gas supplying portion are disposed on either side of the discharge chamber, and that reduces the pressure inside the low-pressure vessel are provided.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 15, 2010Publication date: December 22, 2011Applicant: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.Inventors: Yoshiaki Takeuchi, Tatsuyuki Nishimiya, Hiroomi Miyahara, Sachiko Nakao
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Publication number: 20110201145Abstract: A process for producing a high-performance photovoltaic device by depositing a high-quality crystalline silicon layer, and a deposition apparatus for depositing the high-quality crystalline silicon layer. A process for producing a photovoltaic device that comprises forming a crystalline silicon-based photovoltaic layer comprising an i-layer on a substrate using a plasma-enhanced CVD method, wherein formation of the i-layer comprises an initial layer deposition stage and a bulk i-layer deposition stage, and the initial layer deposition stage comprises depositing the initial layer using a silane-based gas flow rate during the initial layer deposition stage that is lower than the silane-based gas flow rate during the bulk i-layer deposition stage, with the deposition time for the initial layer deposition stage set to not less than 0.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 2, 2009Publication date: August 18, 2011Applicant: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.Inventors: Hiroomi Miyahara, Kengo Yamaguchi
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Publication number: 20110073185Abstract: A photoelectric conversion apparatus (100) having a photovoltaic layer (3) comprising a crystalline silicon i-layer (42) formed on a large surface area substrate (1) of not less than 1 m2, wherein the crystalline silicon i-layer comprises regions in which the Raman peak ratio, which is the ratio, within the substrate (1) plane, of the Raman peak intensity of the crystalline silicon phase relative to the Raman peak intensity of the amorphous silicon phase, is within a range from not less then 3.5 to not more than 8.0, and the surface area proportion for those regions within the substrate (1) plane having a Raman peak ratio of not more than 2.5 is not more than 3%.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 30, 2008Publication date: March 31, 2011Applicant: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.Inventors: Tatsuyuki Nishimiya, Hiroshi Mashima, Hiroomi Miyahara, Keisuke Kawamura, Youji Nakano
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Publication number: 20100068411Abstract: A vacuum treatment method and a vacuum treatment apparatus are provided in which the SiH2/SiH ratio does not increase even when the deposition rate is increased, thereby deterioration in the film quality is prevented and a high level of productivity can be achieved. A vacuum treatment method comprising the steps of heating a substrate (8) disposed inside a deposition chamber (6) under a reduced pressure atmosphere using a heat spreader (a heating device) (5), and supplying electric power to a discharge electrode (3) disposed in a position facing the substrate (8), thereby conducting a deposition on the substrate (8), wherein the deposition is conducted in a state where the temperature difference between the substrate (8) and the discharge electrode (3) is not more than 30° C. The deposition may also be conducted with the gap between the substrate (8) and the discharge electrode (3) set to not more than 7.5 mm.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 30, 2008Publication date: March 18, 2010Applicant: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTDInventors: Hiroomi Miyahara, Tatsuyuki Nishimiya