Abstract: A measuring method for measuring current-voltage characteristics of a photoelectric conversion device by irradiating light to said photoelectric conversion device and a reference device corresponding to said photoelectric conversion device at the same time while detecting an irradiance of said light using said reference device, characterized in that a light responsive time constant of a irradiance detection circuit in which said reference device is used is adjusted so that said light responsive time constant of said irradiance detection circuit comes closer to a light responsive time constant of said photoelectric conversion device. An apparatus for practicing said measuring method.

Abstract: For the multi-source method suitable to measure the photoelectric conversion characteristics of a stacked solar cell, the light-receiving area of the solar cell to be measured is limited to the minimal area of laboratory level, and it is hard to measure a cell, module, or array having an area more than 400 cm2. To cope with this problem, the irradiance of irradiation light is measured or adjusted, the current vs. voltage characteristic of a reference cell is measured, and the current vs. voltage characteristic of a sample cell is measured. Next, the current vs. voltage characteristic of the reference cell in standard test conditions is compared with the measurement result of the current vs. voltage characteristic of the reference cell, thereby obtaining a shift of the measurement result from the standard test condition on the basis of the shift of the irradiation light from the standard test condition. On the basis of the obtained shift of the measurement result, the measurement result of the current vs.

Abstract: A method of measuring the photoelectric conversion characteristics of a solar cell element is provided which comprises the steps of placing and fixing a solar cell element on a stage with a light-receiving surface of the solar cell element being an upper surface, irradiating a photoelectric conversion layer of the solar cell element with a light from the upper surface side, and bringing probes provided on a side opposite to the light-receiving surface side into contact with a first electrode portion and a protruding electrode portion of a second electrode, respectively. An apparatus for measuring the photoelectric conversion characteristics of a solar cell element is also provided.

Abstract: A measuring method for measuring current-voltage characteristics of a photoelectric conversion device by irradiating light to said photoelectric conversion device and a reference device corresponding to said photoelectric conversion device at the same time while detecting an irradiance of said light using said reference device, characterized in that a light responsive time constant of a irradiance detection circuit in which said reference device is used is adjusted so that said light responsive time constant of said irradiance detection circuit comes closer to a light responsive time constant of said photoelectric conversion device. An apparatus for practicing said measuring method.

Abstract: To provide a measuring method capable of measuring even a large-area stacked photoelectric conversion device such as a module or array either indoors or outdoors and accurately measuring the photoelectric conversion characteristics using an inexpensive measuring system, the photoelectric conversion characteristics of a photoelectric conversion device under irradiation light in a plurality of spectral states and a shift of the short-circuit current of each component cell of the photoelectric conversion device from the standard test condition are estimated, and the measured photoelectric conversion characteristics and the estimated shift are compared, thereby obtaining the photoelectric conversion characteristics of the photoelectric conversion device in the standard test conditions.

Abstract: A photovoltaic element of the present invention is a photovoltaic element having a plurality of pin junctions each formed of a p-type semiconductor layer, an i-type semiconductor layer, and an n-type semiconductor layer each comprising a non-single-crystal material comprising a Group IVA element as a principal component, the photovoltaic element having a first pin junction comprising microcrystal silicon carbide (hereinafter referred to as microcrystal SiC) as a principal component of the i-type semiconductor layer and a second pin junction comprising microcrystal silicon (hereinafter referred to as microcrystal Si) as a principal component of the i-type semiconductor layer, wherein the first pin junction is provided closer to the light incidence side than the second pin junction.

Abstract: To provide a measuring method capable of measuring even a large-area stacked photoelectric conversion device such as a module or array either indoors or outdoors and accurately measuring the photoelectric conversion characteristics using an inexpensive measuring system, the photoelectric conversion characteristics of a photoelectric conversion device under irradiation light in a plurality of spectral states and a shift of the short-circuit current of each component cell of the photoelectric conversion device from the standard test condition are estimated, and the measured photoelectric conversion characteristics and the estimated shift are compared, thereby obtaining the photoelectric conversion characteristics of the photoelectric conversion device in the standard test conditions.

Abstract: For the multi-source method suitable to measure the photoelectric conversion characteristics of a stacked solar cell, the light-receiving area of the solar cell to be measured is limited to the minimal area of laboratory level, and it is hard to measure a cell, module, or array having an area more than 400 cm2. To cope with this problem, the irradiance of irradiation light is measured or adjusted, the current vs. voltage characteristic of a reference cell is measured, and the current vs. voltage characteristic of a sample cell is measured. Next, the current vs. voltage characteristic of the reference cell in standard test conditions is compared with the measurement result of the current vs. voltage characteristic of the reference cell, thereby obtaining a shift of the measurement result from the standard test condition on the basis of the shift of the irradiation light from the standard test condition. On the basis of the obtained shift of the measurement result, the measurement result of the current vs.

Abstract: A photovoltaic cell comprising a substrate, a back reflector, a transparent conductive layer, and a photoelectric conversion layer, wherein the transparent conductive layer has holes on the surface, is provided. Additionally, a photovoltaic cell comprising a substrate, a back reflector, a transparent conductive layer, and a photoelectric conversion layer, wherein diffuse reflectance of the back reflector is 3 to 50%, is provided. According to the above-described structures, processability, yield and reliability of the photovoltaic cell can be improved, while photoelectric conversion efficiency is maintained at a high level due to back-surface diffuse reflection.

Abstract: A photovoltaic device of the present invention has a non-single-crystal semiconductor. A layer underlying the non-single-crystal semiconductor has a polycrystalline structure. Individual grains of the polycrystal exposed in the surface of the underlying layer have smooth surfaces. The surface of the underlying layer has a step along the grain boundaries of the polycrystal, or a protrusion or recess at the grain boundaries. Alternatively, polycrystal grains having rough surfaces and polycrystal grains having smooth surfaces commonly exist in the surface of the polycrystalline layer. The polycrystalline layer may be a substrate of the photovoltaic device.

Abstract: A photovoltaic element of the present invention is a photovoltaic element having a plurality of pin junctions each formed of a p-type semiconductor layer, an i-type semiconductor layer, and an n-type semiconductor layer each comprising a non-single-crystal material comprising a Group IVA element as a principal component, the photovoltaic element having a first pin junction comprising microcrystal silicon carbide (hereinafter referred to as microcrystal SiC) as a principal component of the i-type semiconductor layer and a second pin junction comprising microcrystal silicon (hereinafter referred to as microcrystal Si) as a principal component of the i-type semiconductor layer, wherein the first pin junction is provided closer to the light incidence side than the second pin junction.

Abstract: A process for forming a zinc oxide film including immersing an electroconductive substrate having a surface including a plurality of linear projections in an aqueous solution containing at least nitrate ions and zinc ions to form a zinc oxide film on the electroconductive substrate by a liquid-phase deposition. The plurality of linear projections may preferably provide an uneven surface which has a center-line average surface roughness Ra(X) of 15-300 nm when scanned in a direction parallel to the linear projections, a center line average surface roughness Ra(Y) of 20-600 nm when scanned in a direction perpendicular to the linear projections, and an Ra(X)/Ra(Y) ratio of at most 0.8. The thus formed zinc oxide film is provided with an uneven surface suitable for an optical-confinement layer of a photo-electricity generating device excellent in photoelectric performances.

Abstract: A photovoltaic device comprising an opaque substrate having an irregular surface structure comprising a plurality of linear irregularities or recesses arranged therein and a photoelectric conversion layer formed on said irregular surface structure of said substrate, wherein said plurality of linear irregularities or recesses have a center line average roughness Ra(X) of 15 nm to 300 nm when scanned in a direction parallel to the linear irregularities or recesses, a center line average roughness Ra(Y) of 20 nm to 600 nm when scanned in a direction perpendicular to the linear irregularities or recesses, and a Ra(X)/Ra(Y) ratio of 0.8 or less.

Abstract: A photovoltaic element having a semiconductor junction structure, characterized in that said semiconductor junction structure has a doped layer of p-type or n-type composed of a non-single crystalline material containing one or more elements belonging to group IV of the periodic table as a principal constituent thereof, and said doped layer contains a plurality of regions each comprising a diminished density region of said group IV element as the principal constituent of the doped layer such that said group IV element diminished density regions are intermittently distributed in the doped layer. Said semiconductor junction structure has a substantially intrinsic semiconductor layer at least of which being composed of a microcrystalline semiconductor material.

Abstract: A method for forming a crystal comprises applying a crystal forming treatment on a substrate having a free surface comprising a nonnucleation surface (S.sub.NDS) with small nucleation density and a nucleation surface (S.sub.NDL) exposed from said nonnucleation surface having a sufficiently small area for a crystal growing only from a single nucleus and having a greater nucleation density (ND.sub.L) than the nucleation density (ND.sub.S) of said non-nucleation surface (S.sub.NDS), thereby growing a single crystal from said single nucleus.

Abstract: Provided are a photovoltaic element suitable for practical use, low in cost, high in reliability, and high in photoelectric conversion efficiency, and a fabrication process thereof. In the photovoltaic element having stacked layers of non-single-crystal semiconductors, at least an i-type semiconductor layer and a second conductivity type semiconductor layer are stacked on a first conductivity type semiconductor layer, and the second conduction type semiconductor layer has a layer A formed by exposing the surface of the i-type semiconductor layer to a plasma containing a valence electron controlling agent and a layer B deposited on the layer A by a CVD process using at least the valence electron controlling agent and the main constituent elements of the i-type semiconductor layer.

Abstract: A photovoltaic device having a pin type semiconductor junction in which a p-type semiconductor layer and an n-type semiconductor layer are laminated with an interposed i-type semiconductor layer, comprises at least one doped layer of a non-monocrystal semiconductor disposed under and/or over the i-type semiconductor layer, wherein the at least one doped layer has a surface exposed to a plasma containing a band gap increasing element.

Abstract: A microwave plasma CVD method for continuously forming a large area and length functional deposited film, the method comprises: continuously moving a substrate web in the longitudinal direction by paying out it by a pay-out mechanism and taking up it by a take-up mechanism; establishing a substantially enclosed film-forming chamber by curving and projecting said moving substrate web to form a columnar portion to be the circumferential wall of said film forming chamber on the way moving from said pay-out mechanism toward said take-up mechanism; introducing a film-forming raw material gas through a gas feed means into said film-forming chamber; at the same time, radiating a microwave energy in said film-forming chamber by using a microwave applicator means, which is so designed that it can radiate a microwave energy in the direction parallel to the microwave propagating direction, to generate microwave plasma in said film-forming chamber, whereby continuously forming a deposited film on the inner wall face of s

Abstract: A photovoltaic device has a semiconductor layer; electrodes and a surface protection layer adjacent to the light incident side. Granules of a material different from those of the surface protection layer are disposed in the surface protection layer. The granules in the surface protection layer have an average grain size of 0.001-20 microns, a surface density S from 0.2 to 0.9 and/or a density per volume from 0.001 to 0.5.To produce a surface protecting layer for a photovoltaic device in which the surface protecting layer has granules at a light incident side the surface of a photovoltaic device is painted with a liquid resin containing the granules.

Abstract: A method for forming a deposited film comprises the step of introducing a starting material (A) which is either one of a gaseous starting material for formation of a deposited film and a gaseous halogenic oxidizing agent having the property of oxidative action on said starting material into a film forming space in which a substrate having a material which becomes crystal neclei for a deposited film to be formed or a material capable of forming crystal nuclei selectively scatteringly on its surface is previously arranged to have said starting material (A) adsorbed onto the surface of said substrate to form an adsorbed layer (I) and the step of introducing a starting material (B) which is the other one into said film forming space, thereby causing surface reaction on said adsorption layer (I) to form a crystalline deposited film (I).