Abstract: A light receiving member comprising a substrate and a light receiving layer disposed on said substrate, said light receiving layer being composed of a non-Si (H,X) material containing silicon atoms (Si) as a matrix and at least one kind of atoms selected from the group consisting of hydrogen atoms (H) and halogen atoms (X), characterized in that said light receiving layer further contains at least chromium atoms (Cr), iron atoms (Fe)f nickel atoms (Ni), sodium atoms (Na), and magnesium atoms (Mg) respectively in an amount of 0.9 atomic ppm or less.The light receiving member is suitable for use as electronic devices such as electrophotographic light receiving members, solar cells, and the like, wherein it stably and continuously exhibits desirable characteristics without being deteriorated even upon repeated use over a long period of time.

Abstract: In a microwave plasma chemical vapor deposition apparatus for forming a functional deposited film on a substrate which comprises a substantially enclosed film-forming chamber comprising a circumferential wall having an end portion thereof hermetically provided with a microwave introducing window to which a waveguide extending from a microwave power source is connected, said film-forming chamber having a discharge space for causing plasma discharge of resulting in forming a deposited film on a substrate, said substrate being positioned on a substrate holder arranged in said film-forming chamber and said film-forming chamber being provided with means for supplying a film-forming raw material gas into said discharge space and means for evacuating said film-forming chamber, the improvement which comprises a dielectric sheet being movably placed on the surface of said microwave introducing window situated in said film-forming chamber in a state that said dielectric sheet is face to face contacted with said surface

Abstract: A method of producing a semiconductor device including a substrate and a semiconductor region, the semiconductor region including at least one pin structure in the form of a multi-layer structure consisting of a non-single crystal n-type (or p-type) layer containing silicon, a non-single crystal i-type layer containing silicon, and a non-single crystal p-type (or n-type) layer containing silicon, the method being characterized in that it includes a step of performing plasma treatment on the surface of the substrate or the surface of one semiconductor layer, wherein the plasma treatment is performed in an atmosphere including a hydrogen gas and another gas containing silicon atoms without or with very thin deposition of a film onto the surface.

Abstract: A pin type photovoltaic element having an electroconductive substrate and a cell stacked with an n-type semiconductor layer, an i-type semiconductor layer and a p-type semiconductor, all composed of a non-single crystal material containing silicon, and featuring an intermediate layer. The intermediate layer composed of non-single material containing silicon atoms as the matrix and atoms of elements belonging to Group IIIA and VA of the periodic table is between the i-type conductor layer and the p-type conductor layer or the n-type semiconductor layer. The intermediate layer may contain carbon atoms and/or germanium atoms.

Abstract: A method of quickly depositing a non-single-crystal semiconductor film and forming a silicon-type non-single-crystal photovoltaic device, and a method of continuously manufacturing the photovoltaic devices. By this method the deposited film is formed by decomposing a raw material gas with microwave energy which is lower than the microwave energy required to completely decompose the raw material gas. RF energy is applied at the same time which is higher in energy than the microwave energy. The microwave energy acts on the raw material gas at an internal pressure level of 50 mTorr or lower to form a uniform non-single-crystal semiconductor film with excellent electrical characteristics and reduced light deterioration.

Abstract: There is disclosed a device for forming a deposited film which forms a deposited film by bringing a gaseous starting material for formation of a deposited film into contact with a gaseous oxidizing agent having the property of oxidation action on said starting material, thereby causing a chemical reaction to occur, comprising a plural number of chambers for formation of a deposited film connected to one another, said chamber having a gas releasing means having an orifice for releasing said gaseous starting material and an orifice for releasing said gaseous oxidizing agent provided respectively on both wall surfaces opposed to each other, and a support setting means which is arranged so that at least a part of its constitution may be included within the plane formed by linking mutually the gas releasing means on the both wall surfaces.

Abstract: A method of quickly depositing a non-single-crystal semiconductor film and forming a silicon-type non-single-crystal photovoltaic device, and a method of continuously manufacturing the photovoltaic devices. By this method the deposited film is formed by decomposing a raw material gas with microwave energy which is lower than the microwave energy required to completely decompose the raw material gas. RF energy is applied at the same time which is higher in energy than the microwave energy. The microwave energy acts on the raw material gas at an internal pressure level of 50 mTorr or lower to form a uniform non-single-crystal semiconductor film with excellent electrical characteristics and reduced light deterioration.

Abstract: An electrophotographic light receiving member comprising a substrate and a light receiving layer having a multi-layered structure disposed on said substrate, said light receiving layer comprising at least a photoconductive layer and a surface layer being stacked in this order from the side of said substrate, said photoconductive layer being formed of a non-single crystal material containing silicon atoms as the matrix and at least one kind of atoms selected from the group consisting of hydrogen atoms and halogen atoms, and said surface layer being formed of a polysilane compound having a weight average molecular weight of 6000 to 200000 and having at least an oxygen-free organic group selected from the group consisting of alkyl group, cycloalkyl group, aryl group and aralkyl group at the terminals.

Abstract: An electrophotographic image-forming member which comprises a substrate for electrophotography and a light receiving layer being disposed on said substrate, said light receiving layer comprising a photoconductive layer formed of a non-single-crystal silicon carbide film containing silicon atoms as a matrix, carbon atoms in an amount of 5 to 15 atomic % and hydrogen atoms in an amount of 1 to 10 atomic %, containing graphite structure domains in a proportion of 1% or less per unit volume and having an intensity ratio of 0.01 to 0.05 between the C--H bond stretching mode and the Si--H bond stretching mode in an infrared adsorption spectrum.The light receiving layer may further comprise a charge injection inhibition layer or/and a surface layer.

Abstract: An improved method for forming a functional deposited film by introducing a raw material gas into a substantially enclosed reaction chamber containing a substrate onto which the functional deposited film is to be deposited and coupling microwave energy from a source of microwave energy thereinto to thereby form a glow discharge plasma causing decomposition of the raw material gas whereby forming the functional deposited film on the substrate, the improvement comprising supplying microwave of a power equivalent of 1.1 times or more over that of microwave with which the deposition rate for the decomposed products from the raw material gas being deposited onto the substrate to be saturated to the raw material gas in the reaction chamber and regulating the inner pressure of the reaction chamber to a vacuum of 10 m Torr or less.

Abstract: A microwave plasma CVD apparatus for forming a functional deposited film comprises a film-forming chamber having a discharge space, a substrate holder, and apparatus for introducing a film-forming raw material gas into the film-forming chamber, for transmitting microwaves into the film-forming chamber to apply microwave energy to the raw material gas so that the raw material gas is converted into plasma, and for simultaneously applying a bias voltage to the plasma generated in the discharge space from an external system to control the plasma potential. A mechanism is provided for temporarily suspending the application of the bias voltage in the case when abnormal discharge occurs, while monitoring the fluctuation of the bias voltage to be applied to the plasma, to thereby inhibit the occurrence of abnormal discharge.

Abstract: An improved method for forming a functional deposited film by introducing a raw material gas into a substantially enclosed reaction chamber containing a substrate onto which the functional deposited film is to be deposited and coupling microwave energy from a source of microwave energy thereinto to thereby form a glow discharge plasma causing decomposition of the raw material gas whereby forming the functional deposited film on the substrate, the improvement comprising supplying microwave of a power equivalent to 1.1 times or more over that of microwave with which the deposition rate for the decomposed products from the raw material gas being deposited onto the substrate to be saturated to the raw material gas in the reaction chamber and regulating the inner pressure of the reaction chamber to a vacuum of 10 m Torr or less.

Abstract: An improved MW-PCVD apparatus, characterized in that in the MW-CVD apparatus having a substrate onto which a deposited film to be formed and a space near the substrate for the decomposition of a raw material gas with the action of microwave energy, a shielding member is provided between said substrate and said space, which has an opening to allow part of the decomposed raw material gas species to be passed toward the substrate.

Abstract: An improved microwave plasma CVD apparatus for the formation of a thin film on a substrate by exciting glow discharge in a reaction chamber, comprising a substantially enclosed reaction chamber to receive the substrate, a means for supplying a film forming raw material gas into said reaction chamber and a means for introducing microwave energy into said reaction chamber, characterized in that said means for introducing microwave energy retains the gas atmosphere in said reaction chamber and as well as is constituted by a microwave transmissive material capable of introducing the microwave energy, said material being alumina ceramics containing glassy component such as SiO.sub.2, CaO and MgO in an amount of 1 wt. % to 10 wt. % and substantially as other component .alpha.-alumina.In the improved apparatus, the microwave transmissive window can be repeatedly used without being damaged for a long period of time and a desirable functional deposited film may be mass-produced at a high deposition rate.

Abstract: According to the present invention, there is provided an improved process for the formation of a deposited film by way of a microwave plasma CVD method, the improvement comprising monitoring an effective power of a microwave to be introduced into a reaction chamber, leading to a control means an output signal indicative of the effective power corresponding a plasma intensity, and automatically controlling the matching between the reaction chamber and the microwave to be introduced into the reaction chamber according to an output signal from the control means. According to the above process, even after a long discharge time has elapsed, the plasma intensity in the reaction chamber may be maintained constant, and the effective power of the microwave to be introduced into the reaction chamber may be therefore maintained constant.

Abstract: An improvement in the known MW-PCVD process for forming a deposited film on each of a plurality of cylindrical substrates being so arranged as to surround the discharging space in a substantially enclosed reaction space of a deposition chamber by the glow discharge of raw material gas to generate plasmas containing reactive gaseous materials causing the formation of said deposited film in the discharging space while rotating said plurality of substrates, which comprises providing a gas feed pipe provided with a plurality of gas liberation holes opening into the discharging space in every space between every two of the substrates so as to form an encircled discharging space and an open non-discharging space by said plurality of cylindrical substrates and a plurality of gas feed pipes and regulating the deposit thickness to be deposited per a rotation cycle of the substrate passing through the discharging space and the non-discharging space to a 1000 .ANG. or less.

Abstract: A method for forming a deposited film comprises introducing a gaseous starting material containing In atoms or Sn atoms for formation of a deposited film, a gaseous halogenic oxidizing agent having the property of oxidation action for said starting material and an oxygen-containing gaseous compound into a reaction space to effect chemical contact therebetween to thereby form a plural number of precursors containing a presursor under excited state, and forming a deposited film on a substrate existing in a film forming space with the use of at least one precursor of these precursors as a feeding source for a constituent element of the deposited film.

Abstract: A method for forming a deposited film comprises introducing into a reaction space a gasifiable starting material containing a transition metal element for formation of a deposited film and a gaseous halogenic oxidizing agent having the property of oxidation action for said starting material to effect contact therebetween to thereby chemically form a plural number of precursors including precursors under excited state, and forming a metal deposited film on a substrate existing in the film forming space with the use of at least one precursor of these precursors as the feeding source for the constituent element of the deposited film.

Abstract: An apparatus for forming a deposited film by bringing gaseous starting materials for forming deposited film contact with a gaseous halogenic oxidizing agent which exerts oxidative effect on the starting materials, comprises, in a chamber for forming the deposited film, gas discharge means comprised of a gas discharge pipe for discharging the gaseous starting materials and a gas discharge pipe for discharging the halogenic oxidizing agent and means for disposing supports on which a plurality of cylindrical supports for depositing the film thereon are arranged around the gas discharge means.

Abstract: A method for forming a deposited film by introducing a gaseous starting material for formation of a deposited film and a gaseous halogenic oxidizing agent having the property of oxidation action on said starting material separately from each other into a reaction space to form a deposited film according to a chemical reaction, which comprises activating previously a gaseous substance (D) for formation of a valence electron controller in an activation space to form an activated species and introducing said activated species into the reaction space to form a doped deposited film.