Abstract: A mist-CVD apparatus contains a first atomizer for atomizing a first metal oxide precursor and generating a first mist of the first metal oxide precursor; a second atomizer for atomizing a second metal oxide precursor and generating a second mist of the second metal oxide precursor; a carrier-gas supplier for supplying a carrier gas to convey the first and second mists; a film-forming unit for forming a film on a substrate by subjecting the first and second mists to a thermal reaction; and a first conveyance pipe through which the first mist and the carrier gas are conveyed to the film forming chamber, a second conveyance pipe through which the second mist and the carrier gas are conveyed to the film forming chamber.

Abstract: A film formation device which forms a film on a substrate through the heat treatment of a starting material solution in the form of a mist, the film formation device including a mist conversion unit that generates a mist by converting the starting material solution into mist, a carrier gas supply unit that supplies a carrier gas for transporting the mist generated by the mist conversion unit, a film formation unit that includes therein a placement part for placing the substrate and that is where the mist transported by the carrier gas is supplied onto the substrate, and an exhaust unit that exhausts exhaust gas from the film formation unit, and further including, above the placement part in the film formation unit, a nozzle for supplying the mist onto the substrate and a top plate for adjusting the flow of the mist supplied from the nozzle.

Abstract: A method of producing a raw material solution for a film-forming according to a Mist CVD method including a temperature at which a solute containing a metallic element is mixed with a solvent and stirred is 30° C. or higher, and a method of film-forming according to the Mist CVD method using a raw material solution produced by the method of producing the raw material solution.

Abstract: A method for forming a film, including: forming a film on a base body; and discharging a gas with a discharging unit. A channel plate is above and opposite to the base body via a space. A mixed gas flow linearly flows from a mixed gas supplying unit toward the discharging unit so that the mixed gas through the space above the base body is along at least part of a main surface of the base body. A projection is formed on a part of: the channel plate and/or the stage to inhibit deviation of the mixed gas flow from a direction toward the discharging unit. The channel plate and projection are provided so that a gap having a width smaller than a shortest distance in the space between the channel plate and the base body is formed, and the film-formation and the discharging are performed.

Abstract: A method for producing a gallium precursor, including, a step of preparing a solvent comprising an aqueous solution containing an acid and/or an alkali, a step of immersing gallium in the solvent, a step of making the gallium immersed in the solvent fine, and a step of dissolving the fined gallium. This provides a method for producing a gallium precursor with high quality and highly productive.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a solar cell, including the steps of: forming unevenness on both of main surfaces of a semiconductor substrate of a first conductivity type; forming an emitter layer on a first main surface of the semiconductor substrate; forming a diffusion mask on the emitter layer; removing the diffusion mask in a pattern; forming a base layer on the portion where the diffusion mask have been removed; removing the remaining diffusion mask; forming a dielectric film on the first main surface; forming a base electrode on the base layer; and forming an emitter electrode on the emitter layer. This provides a method for manufacturing a solar cell that can bring high photoelectric conversion efficiency while decreasing the number of steps.

Abstract: A film-forming atomizer atomizing a raw material liquid with ultrasonic wave to generate a raw material mist, includes: a raw material container containing the raw material liquid; a propagation vessel containing an intermediate liquid as a medium for propagating the ultrasonic wave to the raw material liquid; a support mechanism to support the raw material container so that at least a part of the raw material container is positioned in the intermediate liquid; a circulation mechanism to circulate the intermediate liquid; an ultrasonic wave generator to generate and apply the ultrasonic wave to the propagation vessel; and a degassing mechanism to discharge a gas in the intermediate liquid out of the film-forming atomizer.

Abstract: A drying method of a polyimide paste which can maintain a printing shape while maintaining productivity includes an organic solvent and a polyimide resin dissolved in the organic solvent, and which becomes cured polyimide by being cured as a result of being dried and heated, the drying method including a step of applying the polyimide paste to a surface of a base material, a step of applying a solvent including a polar material to a surface of the base material at least at a portion where the polyimide paste is applied, and a step of, after applying the solvent including the polar material, drying the polyimide paste and the solvent including the polar material.

Abstract: A method for producing a doping raw-material solution for film formation includes a step of firstly mixing a solute including a halogen-containing organic dopant compound or a dopant halide with a first solvent, but not with other solvents to prepare a dopant precursor solution separately from a film-forming raw material, where an acidic solvent is used as the first solvent. A method for producing a doping raw-material solution for film formation enables stable formation of a high-quality thin film having excellent electric characteristics.

Abstract: A semiconductor laminate at least including: a base; a buffer layer; and a crystalline metal oxide semiconductor film containing at least one metal element and having a corundum structure, the semiconductor laminate having the buffer layer on a main surface of the base directly or via another layer, the semiconductor laminate having the crystalline metal oxide semiconductor film on the buffer layer. The buffer layer is a laminate structure of a plurality of buffer films each with a different composition, and at least two buffer films of the plurality of buffer films have a film thickness of 200 nm or more and 650 nm or less.

Abstract: A mist-CVD apparatus contains a first atomizer for atomizing a first metal oxide precursor and generating a first mist of the first metal oxide precursor; a second atomizer for atomizing a second metal oxide precursor and generating a second mist of the second metal oxide precursor; a carrier-gas supplier for supplying a carrier gas to convey the first and second mists; a film-forming unit for forming a film on a substrate by subjecting the first and second mists to a thermal reaction; and a first conveyance pipe through which the first mist and the carrier gas are conveyed to the film forming chamber, a second conveyance pipe through which the second mist and the carrier gas are conveyed to the film forming chamber.

Abstract: A laminate contains a crystal substrate; a middle layer formed on a main surface of the crystal substrate, the middle layer comprising a mixture of an amorphous region in an amorphous phase and a crystal region in a crystal phase having a corundum structure mainly made of a first metal oxide; and a crystal layer formed on the middle layer and having a corundum structure mainly made of a second metal oxide, wherein the crystal region is an epitaxially grown layer from a crystal plane of the crystal substrate.

Abstract: A back surface electrode type solar cell in which a p-type region having a p-conductive type, and an n-type region which has an n-conductive type and in which maximum concentration of additive impurities for providing the n-conductive type in a substrate width direction is equal to or higher than 5×1018 atoms/cm3 are disposed on a first main surface of a crystal silicon substrate, a first passivation film is disposed so as to cover the p-type region and the n-type region, and a second passivation film is disposed on a second main surface which is a surface opposite to the first main surface so as to cover the second main surface, the first passivation film and the second passivation film being formed with a compound containing oxide aluminum.

Abstract: A method for producing a crystalline oxide semiconductor film in which, a crystalline oxide semiconductor layer and a light absorbing layer are laminated on a substrate, the light absorbing layer is irradiated with light to decompose the light absorbing layer and separate the crystalline oxide semiconductor layer and the substrate to produce a crystalline oxide semiconductor film. This provides a method for industrially advantageously producing a crystalline oxide semiconductor film, for example, a crystalline oxide semiconductor film useful for a semiconductor device (particularly a vertical element).

Abstract: A film forming method for forming a film by heating a mist in a film-forming unit, the method including steps of: atomizing a raw-material solution in an atomizer to generate a mist; conveying the mist with a carrier gas from the atomizer to the film-forming unit through a conveyor that connects the atomizer and the film-forming unit; and heating the mist to form a film on a substrate in the film-forming unit. In this method, a flow rate of the carrier gas and a temperature of the carrier gas are controlled to satisfy 7<T+Q<67, where Q represents the flow rate (L/minute) of the carrier gas, and T represents the temperature (° C.) of the carrier gas. Thus, provided is a film forming method excellent in film forming speed.

Abstract: A solar cell is provided with: a semiconductor substrate having a light-receiving surface and a non-light-receiving surface; a PN junction section formed on the semiconductor substrate; a passivation layer formed on the light-receiving surface and/or the non-light-receiving surface; and power extraction electrodes formed on the light-receiving surface and the non-light-receiving surface. The solar cell is characterized in that the passivation layer includes an aluminum oxide film having a thickness of 40 nm or less. As a result of forming a aluminum oxide film having a predetermined thickness on the surface of the substrate, it is possible to achieve excellent passivation performance and excellent electrical contact between silicon and the electrode by merely firing the conductive paste, which is conventional technology. Furthermore, an annealing step, which has been necessary to achieve the passivation effects of the aluminum oxide film in the past, can be eliminated, thus dramatically reducing costs.

Abstract: A solar cell including a semiconductor substrate having a first conductivity type an emitter region, having a second conductivity type opposite to the first conductivity type, on a first main surface of the semiconductor substrate an emitter electrode which is in contact with the emitter region a base region having the first conductivity type a base electrode which is in contact with the base region and an insulator film for preventing an electrical short-circuit between the emitter region and the base region, wherein the insulator film is made of a polyimide, and the insulator film has a C6H11O2 detection count number of 100 or less when the insulator film is irradiated with Bi5++ ions with an acceleration voltage of 30 kV and an ion current of 0.2 pA by a TOF-SIMS method. The solar cell can have excellent weather resistance and high photoelectric conversion characteristics.

Abstract: A solar cell is provided with: a semiconductor substrate having a light-receiving surface and a non-light-receiving surface; a PN junction section formed on the semiconductor substrate; a passivation layer formed on the light-receiving surface and/or the non-light-receiving surface; and power extraction electrodes formed on the light-receiving surface and the non-light-receiving surface. The solar cell is characterized in that the passivation layer includes an aluminum oxide film having a thickness of 40 nm or less. As a result of forming a aluminum oxide film having a predetermined thickness on the surface of the substrate, it is possible to achieve excellent passivation performance and excellent electrical contact between silicon and the electrode by merely firing the conductive paste, which is conventional technology. Furthermore, an annealing step, which has been necessary to achieve the passivation effects of the aluminum oxide film in the past, can be eliminated, thus dramatically reducing costs.

Abstract: An atomizing apparatus for film formation enabling high-quality thin film formation with suppressed particle adhesion, including: a raw-material container accommodating a raw-material solution; a cylindrical member connecting inside the raw-material container to an outer unit, and disposed so a lower end of the cylindrical member does not touch a liquid surface of the raw-material solution in the container; an ultrasound generator having at least one source emitting ultrasound; and a liquid tank where the ultrasound propagates the raw-material solution through a middle solution. The generation source is outside the liquid tank and has a center between a plane extending from an inner side wall of the raw-material container and a plane extending from an outer side wall of the cylindrical member. A center line of an ultrasound-emitting surface of the ultrasound generation source is designated as u, wherein the center line u does not intersect the cylindrical member side wall.

Abstract: An atomizing apparatus for film formation, including: a raw-material container configured to accommodate a raw-material solution; a cylindrical member configured to spatially connect inside of the container to an outer unit, and disposed so a lower end of the cylindrical member does not touch a liquid surface of the solution in the container; an ultrasound generator having at least one ultrasound generation source; and a liquid tank where the ultrasound propagates to the raw-material solution through a middle solution. A center line of an ultrasound-emitting surface of the ultrasound generation source is designated u, the source is provided so an intersection P between line u and a plane containing a side wall surface of the cylindrical member and an extension thereof is located below a lower end point B of the cylindrical member. This provides an atomizing apparatus for film formation, enabling high-quality thin film formation with suppressed particle adhesion.