Abstract: In a mist flow rate measuring apparatus of the present disclosure, in a transparent pipe, a camera executes imaging processing of reflected light, the imaging processing having at least a part of a mist flowing region through which a mist-containing gas flows set as an imaging target region, and acquires imaging information. A mist flow rate calculation unit executes mist flow rate calculation processing based on the imaging information. The mist flow rate calculation processing includes sum value calculation processing of obtaining a luminance sum value, which is a sum of a plurality of luminance values indicated by the imaging information, and flow rate derivation processing of deriving the flow rate of the raw material mist from the luminance sum value.

Abstract: In a mist flow rate measuring apparatus of the present disclosure, an external discharge pipe is constituted of a combination of an upstream pipe, a large-diameter transparent pipe, and a downstream pipe. A part of a mist flowing region in the large-diameter transparent pipe is an imaging target region of a mist imaging camera. An inner diameter D31 of the large-diameter transparent pipe is set to a value larger than an inner diameter D7 of the upstream pipe and an inner diameter D8 of the downstream pipe. That is, the large-diameter transparent pipe, the upstream pipe, and the downstream pipe have a magnitude relationship with respect to the inner diameter of {D31>D7=D8}.

Abstract: Inside a heating space of a heating chamber, a first heating treatment of moving a substrate along a substrate moving direction is performed by a first conveyor. After that, first conveyance processing of moving the substrate along a conveying direction is performed by a second conveyor. At this time, source mist is sprayed on the substrate by first thin film forming nozzles. Subsequently, second heating treatment is performed by a third conveyor. After that, second conveyance processing is performed by a fourth conveyor. At this time, source mist is sprayed on the substrate by second thin film forming nozzles.

Abstract: In a metal oxide film formation method of the present invention, the following steps are performed. In a solution vessel, a raw-material solution including aluminum as a metallic element is turned into a mist so that a raw-material solution mist is obtained. In a solution vessel provided independently of the solution vessel, a reaction aiding solution including a reaction aiding agent for formation of aluminum oxide is turned into a mist so that an aiding-agent mist is obtained. Then, the raw-material solution mist and the aiding-agent mist are fed to a nozzle provided in a reactor vessel via paths. Thereafter, the raw-material solution mist and the aiding-agent mist are mixed in the nozzle so that a mixed mist is obtained. Then, the mixed mist is fed onto a back surface of a heated P-type silicon substrate.

Abstract: In an ultrasonic atomization apparatus of the present invention, a separator cup and four ultrasonic vibrators are provided to satisfy a reflected wave avoidance condition that “four reflected waves are not received by any of the four ultrasonic vibrators”. Specifically, a set curvature of a bottom surface of the separator cup is set to be larger than a conventional set curvature. In addition, a distance from a center point of a bottom surface of the water tank of each of the four ultrasonic vibrators is set to be longer than a conventional distance.

Abstract: In an ultrasonic atomization apparatus being the present invention, a source solution is accommodated in a separator cup being a part of a container. A constituent material of the separator cup is PTFE being one of fluorocarbon resins, whose entire thickness is uniformly 0.5 mm. Therefore, the separator cup satisfies a thin film condition that “the thickness of a bottom surface BP1 is 0.5 mm or less”.

Abstract: A film forming device includes a bottom plate detachably provided on a bottom surface of a mist spray head. The bottom plate includes a raw material solution opening, reaction material openings, and inert gas openings formed in regions corresponding to a raw material solution ejection port, reaction material ejection ports, and inert gas ejection ports, when the bottom plate is attached to the bottom surface of the mist spray head.

Abstract: Inside a heating space of a heating chamber, a first heating treatment of moving a substrate along a substrate moving direction is performed by a first conveyor. After that, first conveyance processing of moving the substrate along a conveying direction is performed by a second conveyor. At this time, source mist is sprayed on the substrate by first thin film forming nozzles. Subsequently, second heating treatment is performed by a third conveyor. After that, second conveyance processing is performed by a fourth conveyor. At this time, source mist is sprayed on the substrate by second thin film forming nozzles.

Abstract: A method for film-forming a buffer layer to be used for a solar cell, the buffer layer being disposed between a light absorbing layer and a transparent conductive film. Specifically, in this buffer layer film-forming method, a solution is formed into a mist, the solution containing zinc and almuminum as metal raw materials of the buffer layer. Then, a substrate disposed in the atmosphere is heated. Then, the mist of the solution is sprayed to the substrate being heated.

Abstract: In the present invention, an infrared radiation apparatus is disposed at a position apart from a conveyor in a lower chamber. The infrared radiation apparatus performs heating treatment for a plurality of substrates placed on an upper surface of a belt by radiating infrared light upwardly from a plurality of infrared lamps. In a film forming chamber, a thin film is formed on the substrates placed on the upper surface of the belt by simultaneously performing the heating treatment of infrared radiation of the infrared radiation apparatus and mist spray treatment of a thin film forming nozzle.

Abstract: A heating chamber and a film forming chamber are disposed along a substrate conveyance path circle. The heating chamber and the film forming chamber are disposed adjacently to each other. With a substrate conveying apparatus, a plurality of substrates are simultaneously conveyed along the substrate conveyance path circle, with a substrate rotation direction being a moving direction. After heating treatment of infrared radiation apparatuses in the heating chamber is performed for the substrates, mist spraying treatment of thin film forming nozzles in the film forming chamber is performed for the substrates. In this manner, a thin film is formed on each of a front surface and a back surface of the plurality of substrates.

Abstract: In a film forming apparatus of the first embodiment, an infrared radiation apparatus and a thin film forming nozzle are separately disposed from each other so that heating treatment performed in a heating chamber and mist spray treatment performed in a film forming chamber are not affected by each other. The film forming apparatus of the first embodiment performs the heating treatment of infrared radiation of the infrared radiation apparatus in the heating chamber and then performs the mist spray treatment of the thin film forming nozzle in the film forming chamber.

Abstract: In the present invention, a p-type silicon substrate is produced, a solution containing aluminum is misted, and the misted solution is sprayed onto the back surface of the p-type silicon substrate under non-vacuum to form a back surface passivation film made of the aluminum oxide film on the back surface of the p-type silicon substrate. Thereafter, a light irradiation processing in which an interface between the p-type silicon substrate and the back surface passivation film is irradiated with ultraviolet light is performed.

Abstract: In the present invention, a suction gripper which performs an substrate introducing operation for a substrate loading stage and a suction gripper which performs a substrate retrieving operation from the substrate loading stage have heating mechanisms. Consequently, the heating mechanisms can perform first and second preheating treatments for heating a substrate even in a state where the suction grippers grip the substrate.

Abstract: In a film forming device, a mist spray head includes: an inert gas spray part between a raw material solution spray nozzle and a reaction material spray nozzle; and an inert gas spray part between the raw material solution spray nozzle and a reaction material spray nozzle. Accordingly, an inert gas ejection port is provided between a raw material solution ejection port and a reaction material ejection port, and an inert gas ejection port is provided between the raw material solution ejection port and a reaction material ejection port.

Abstract: An atomizing apparatus includes a container that accommodates a solution and a mist generator that forms the solution into a mist. An inner hollow structure is located in the container. The atomizing apparatus supplies a carrier gas into a gas supply space. The atomizing apparatus includes a connecting portion formed therein. The connecting portion connects a hollow of the inner hollow structure and the gas supply space.

Abstract: A film forming apparatus includes a spray nozzle, a first chamber, a first gas supply port, a second chamber, a through hole, and a mist outlet. A solution transformed into droplets that is to be sprayed from the spray nozzle is housed in the first chamber and transformed into a mist in the first chamber by gas injected from the first gas supply port. The solution in mist form moves from the first chamber through the through hole to the second chamber and is misted onto a substrate from the mist outlet of the second chamber.

Abstract: In a method for producing a metal oxide film according to the present invention, a solution containing zinc is sprayed onto a substrate placed under non-vacuum, and then, a dopant solution containing a dopant is sprayed onto the substrate. After that, a deposited metal oxide film is subjected to a resistance reducing treatment. A molar concentration of the dopant supplied to the substrate with respect to a molar concentration of the zinc supplied to the substrate is not less than a predetermined value.

Abstract: Disclosed herein in a method of forming a metal oxide film, which can provide a high-quality metal oxide film while enhancing production efficiency. The method includes the steps of: turning a raw-material solution having a metallic element into a mist, to obtain a raw-material solution mist; turning a reaction aiding solution into a mist, to obtain an aiding-agent mist; feeding the raw-material solution mist and the aiding-agent mist into a mixing vessel, thereby mixing the raw-material solution mist and the aiding-agent mist, to obtain a mixed mist; and feeding the mixed mist onto a back surface of a substrate which is heated, to obtain a metal oxide film.

Abstract: A film deposition apparatus includes substrate loading stages which place a substrate and include a suction mechanism for suctioning the placed substrate and a heating mechanism for heating the placed substrate. A substrate transferring mechanism executes a transporting operation for causing the substrate loading stages to sequentially pass through an injection region of a thin film forming nozzle at a moving speed. The transporting operation includes a circulating transporting treatment for circulating and arranging one substrate loading stage of the substrate loading stages causing all the placed substrates to pass through the injection region at a circulating speed behind the other substrate loading stage.