Abstract: The invention is aimed to prevent that fall of characteristic of a solar battery and producing yield caused by particles of powder condition generating from working part at laser beam process in the method producing the solar battery by laser beam process. The constitution of the invention is characterized by comprising: a first step forming the lower electrode and the semiconductor layer on the insulating substrate by laminating; a second step forming a protective film on surface of the semiconductor; a third step forming an opening portion at the semiconductor layer, or the semiconductor layer and the lower electrode by laser beam process after the second step; and a fourth step removing the protective film.

Abstract: A solar cell comprises a substrate, and a metal electrode layer, a p-i-n junction, and a transparent electrode layer which are successively laminated on the substrate. The p-i-n junction comprises an n layer, an i layer, and a p layer which are laminated in this order. The i layer is made of an amorphous iron silicide film containing hydrogen in accordance with the present invention, and is formed on the n layer by supplying an iron vapor into a plasma of a material gas in which a silane type gas and a hydrogen gas are mixed. In the i layer, dangling bonds of silicon atoms and/or iron atoms are terminated with hydrogen, whereby a number of trap levels which may occur in the amorphous iron silicide film are eliminated.

Abstract: A solar battery 10 comprises a metal electrode layer 12, a pin junction 100, and a transparent electrode layer 16 which are successively laminated on a substrate 11 such as a silicon substrate. The pin junction 100 comprises an n-layer 13, an i-layer 14, and a p-layer 15 which are laminated in succession. The i-layer 14 is formed by amorphous iron silicide (FexSiy:H) containing hydrogen atoms. In the i-layer 14, at least a part of the hydrogen atoms contained therein terminate dangling bonds of silicon atoms and/or iron atoms, so that a number of trap levels which may occur in an amorphous iron silicide film can be eliminated, whereby the i-layer 14 exhibits a characteristic as an intrinsic semiconductor layer.

Abstract: The present invention provides a semiconductor device formed over an insulating substrate, typically a semiconductor device having a structure in which mounting strength to a wiring board can be increased in an optical sensor, a solar battery, or a circuit using a TFT, and which can make it mount on a wiring board with high density, and further a method for manufacturing the same. According to the present invention, in a semiconductor device, a semiconductor element is formed on an insulating substrate, a concave portion is formed on a side face of the semiconductor device, and a conductive film electrically connected to the semiconductor element is formed in the concave portion.

Abstract: An object of the present invention to provide a semiconductor device manufactured in short time by performing the step of forming the thin film transistor and the step of forming the photoelectric conversion layer in parallel, and to provide a manufacturing process thereof. According to the present invention, a semiconductor device is manufactured in such a way that a thin film transistor is formed over a first substrate, a photoelectric conversion element is formed over a second substrate, and the thin film transistor and the photoelectric conversion element are connected electrically by sandwiching a conductive layer between the first and second substrates opposed to each other so that the thin film transistor and the photoelectric conversion element are located between the first and second substrates. Thus, a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device which suppresses the increase in the number of steps and which increases the throughput can be provided.

Abstract: In an optical sensor device employing an amorphous silicon photodiode, an external amplifier IC and the like are required due to low current capacity of the sensor element in order to improve the load driving capacity. It leads to increase in cost and mounting space of the optical sensor device. In addition, noise may easily superimpose since the photodiode and the amplifier IC are connected to each other over a printed circuit board. According to the invention, an amorphous silicon photodiode and an amplifier configured by a thin film transistor are formed integrally over a substrate so that the load driving capacity is improved while reducing cost and mounting space. Superimposing noise can be also reduced.

Abstract: An object is to provide a photoelectric conversion device capable of detecting a wider range of illuminance without expansion of a range of an output voltage or output current. The photoelectric conversion device has a photoelectric conversion device including a photoelectric conversion element and an amplifier circuit electrically connected to the photoelectric conversion element, and a bias switching unit for reversing a bias to be applied to the photoelectric conversion device. The bias to be applied to the photoelectric conversion device is reversed with use of the bias switching unit, whereby the photoelectric conversion device can detect a wider range of illuminance without expansion of a range of an output voltage or output current.

Abstract: It is an object of the present invention to obtain a photoelectric conversion device having a favorable spectral sensitivity characteristic and no variation in output current without such a contamination substance mixed into a photoelectric conversion layer or a transistor. Further, it is another object of the present invention to obtain a highly reliable semiconductor device in a semiconductor device having such a photoelectric conversion device.

Abstract: [Abstract]Considering further promotion of high output and miniaturization of a sensor element, it is an object of the present invention to form a plurality of elements in a limited area so that an area occupied by the element is reduced for integration. It is another object to provide a process which improves the yield of a sensor element. According to the present invention, a sensor element using an amorphous silicon film and an output amplifier circuit constituted by a thin film transistor are formed over a substrate having an insulating surface. In addition, a metal layer for protecting an exposed wire when a photoelectric conversion layer of the sensor element is patterned is provided between the photoelectric conversion layer and the wire connected to the thin film transistor.

Abstract: In an optical sensor device employing an amorphous silicon photodiode, an external amplifier IC and the like are required due to low current capacity of the sensor element in order to improve the load driving capacity. It leads to increase in cost and mounting space of the optical sensor device. In addition, noise may easily superimpose since the photodiode and the amplifier IC are connected to each other over a printed circuit board. According to the invention, an amorphous silicon photodiode and an amplifier configured by a thin film transistor are formed integrally over a substrate so that the load driving capacity is improved while reducing cost and mounting space. Superimposing noise can be also reduced.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a film formation apparatus including a first transfer chamber having a roller for sending a substrate, a film formation chamber having a discharging electrode, a buffer chamber provided between the transfer chamber and the film formation chamber or between the film formation chambers, a slit provided in a portion where the substrate comes in and out in the buffer chamber, and a second transfer chamber having a roller for rewinding the substrate. The slit is provided with at least one touch roller, and the touch roller is in contact with a film formation surface of the substrate. In addition, the present invention also relates to a method for forming a film and a method for manufacturing a photoelectric conversion device that are performed by using such a film formation apparatus.

Abstract: A photoelectric conversion device provided with a photoelectric conversion layer between a first electrode and a second electrode is formed. The first electrode is partially in contact with the photoelectric conversion layer, and a cross-sectional shape of the first electrode in the contact portion is a taper shape. In this case, part of a first semiconductor layer with one conductivity type is in contact with the first electrode. A planer shape in an edge portion of the first electrode is preferably nonangular, that is, a shape in which edges are planed or a curved shape. By such a structure, concentration of an electric field and concentration of a stress can be suppressed, whereby characteristic deterioration of the photoelectric conversion device can be reduced.

Abstract: The present invention provides a photoelectric conversion device capable of detecting light from weak light to strong light and relates to a photoelectric conversion device having a photodiode having a photoelectric conversion layer; an amplifier circuit including a transistor; and a switch, where the photodiode and the amplifier circuit are electrically connected to each other by the switch when intensity of entering light is lower than predetermined intensity so that a photoelectric current is amplified by the amplifier circuit to be outputted, and the photodiode and part or all of the amplifier circuits are electrically disconnected by the switch so that a photoelectric current is reduced in an amplification factor to be outputted. According to such a photoelectric conversion device, light from weak light to strong light can be detected.

Abstract: The present invention provides a semiconductor device having a structure that can be mounted on a wiring substrate, as for the semiconductor device formed over a thin film-thickness substrate, a film-shaped substrate, or a sheet-like substrate. In addition, the present invention provides a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device that is capable of raising a reliability of mounting on a wiring substrate. One feature of the present invention is to bond a semiconductor element formed on a substrate having isolation to a member that a conductive film is formed via a medium having an anisotropic conductivity.

Abstract: The manufacturing method of a semiconductor device according to the present invention comprises steps of forming a metal film, an insulating film, and an amorphous semiconductor film in sequence over a first substrate; crystallizing the metal film and the amorphous semiconductor film; forming a first semiconductor element by using the crystallized semiconductor film as an active region; attaching a support to the first semiconductor element by using an adhesive; causing separation between the metal film and the insulating film; attaching a second substrate to the separated insulating film; separating the support by removing the adhesive; forming an amorphous semiconductor film over the first semiconductor element; and forming a second semiconductor element using the amorphous semiconductor film as an active region.

Abstract: The present invention provides a semiconductor device having a structure that can be mounted on a wiring substrate, as for the semiconductor device formed over a thin film-thickness substrate, a film-shaped substrate, or a sheet-like substrate. In addition, the present invention provides a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device that is capable of raising a reliability of mounting on a wiring substrate. One feature of the present invention is to bond a semiconductor element formed on a substrate having isolation to a member that a conductive film is formed via a medium having an anisotropic conductivity.

Abstract: It is an object to provide a photoelectric conversion device which detects light ranging from weak light to strong light. The present invention relates to a photoelectric conversion device having a photodiode having a photoelectric conversion layer, an amplifier circuit including a thin film transistor and a bias switching means, where a bias which is connected to the photodiode and the amplifier circuit is switched by the bias switching means when intensity of incident light exceeds predetermined intensity, and accordingly, light which is less than the predetermined intensity is detected by the photodiode and light which is more than the predetermined intensity is detected by the thin film transistor of the amplifier circuit. By the present invention, light ranging from weak light to strong light can be detected.

Abstract: The present invention provides a photoelectric conversion device in which a leakage current is suppressed. A photoelectric conversion device of the present invention comprises: a first electrode over a substrate; a photoelectric conversion layer including a first conductive layer having one conductivity, a second semiconductor layer, and a third semiconductor layer having a conductivity opposite to the one conductivity of the second semiconductor layer over the first electrode, wherein an end portion of the first electrode is covered with the first semiconductor layer; an insulating film, and a second electrode electrically connected to the third semiconductor film with the insulating film therebetween, over the insulating film, are formed over the third semiconductor film, and wherein a part of the second semiconductor layer and a part of the third semiconductor layer is removed in a region of the photoelectric conversion layer, which is not covered with the insulating film.

Abstract: The present invention provides a solar cell whose external color can be adjusted so that redness is suppressed. In the case where a photoelectric conversion layer contains amorphous silicon, an optical absorption layer is provided between the photoelectric conversion layer and a reflecting electrode layer. The optical absorption layer has a light absorbing property mainly in a long wavelength range, while the photoelectric conversion layer (amorphous silicon) has a selective light absorbing property mainly in a short/medium wavelength range. Incident light (solar light) passed through the photoelectric conversion layer further passes through the optical absorption layer and, after that, is reflected by the reflecting electrode layer. That is, remaining light of the incident light absorbed by the optical absorption layer and the photoelectric conversion layer is reflected by the reflecting electrode layer.

Abstract: It is an object of the present invention to provide a photo-sensor having a structure which can suppress electrostatic discharge damage. Conventionally, a transparent electrode has been formed over the entire surface of a light receiving region; however, in the present invention, the transparent electrode is not formed, and a p-type semiconductor layer and an n-type semiconductor layer of a photoelectric conversion layer are used as an electrode. Therefore, in the photo-sensor according to the present invention, resistance is increased and electrostatic discharge damage can be suppressed. In addition, positions of the p-type semiconductor layer and the n-type semiconductor layer, which serve as an electrode, are kept away; and thus, resistance is increased and withstand voltage can be improved.