Abstract: A touch panel manufacturing method is a method for manufacturing a touch panel including a transparent substrate having a main surface on which a transparent-electroconductive film is formed. The transparent-electroconductive film is formed on the main surface of the transparent substrate by carrying out sputtering using a target made of a zinc oxide-based material in a reactive gas atmosphere containing two or three gases selected from a group consisting of hydrogen gas, oxygen gas, and water vapor.

Abstract: A metallic wiring film, which is not exfoliated even when exposed to a plasma of hydrogen, is provided. A metallic wiring film 20a is constituted by an adhesion layer 51 in which an additive metal is added to copper and a low-resistance metallic layer 52, which is made of pure copper, is disposed on the adhesion layer 51. When the additive metal made of at least one of Ti, Zr and Cr, and oxygen are included in a copper alloy which is in the adhesion layer 51 and a source electrode and a drain electrode are formed from it, copper does not precipitate at an interface between the adhesion layer 51 and the silicon layer even when being exposed to the hydrogen plasma, which prevents exfoliation from occurring between the adhesion layer 51 and the silicon layer. If the amount of additive metal increases, the adhesion layer 51 cannot be etched with an etching liquid for etching the low-resistance metallic layer 52, so that the maximum additional amount to permit the etching to be performed is the upper limit.

Abstract: A metallic wiring film, which is not exfoliated even when exposed to plasma of hydrogen, is provided. A metallic wiring film is constituted by an adhesion layer in which Al is added to copper and a metallic low-resistance layer which is disposed on the adhesion layer and made of pure copper. When a copper alloy including Al and oxygen are included in the adhesion layer and a source electrode and a drain electrode are formed from it, copper does not precipitate at an interface between the adhesion layer and the silicon layer even when being exposed to the hydrogen plasma, which prevents the occurrence of exfoliation between the adhesion layer and the silicon layer. If the amount of Al increases, since widths of the adhesion layer and the metallic low-resistance layer largely differ after etching, the maximum addition amount for permitting the etching to be performed is the upper limit.

Abstract: The present invention is to provide a magnetron sputtering technique for forming a film having an even film thickness distribution for a long period of time. A magnetron sputtering apparatus of the present invention includes a vacuum chamber, a cathode part provided in the vacuum chamber, the cathode part holding a target on the front side thereof and having a backing plate to hold a plurality of magnets on the backside thereof, and a direct-current power source that supplies direct-current power to the cathode part. A plurality of control electrodes, which independently controls potentials, is provided in a discharge space on the side of the target with respect to the backing plate.

Abstract: A process for producing a liquid crystal display device that includes at least a pair of substrates holding a liquid crystal layer therebetween and a pixel electrode superimposed on the liquid crystal layer side of the pair of substrates, the pixel electrode on at least one of the pair of substrates being formed of a transparent electroconductive film made of zinc oxide as a fundamental constituent material, the process includes: a step of forming a zinc oxide transparent electroconductive film on the substrate by sputtering, using a target of a zinc oxide series material to form the pixel electrode, wherein, in the step of forming the pixel electrode, sputtering is performed in an atmosphere containing two or three materials selected from the group consisting of hydrogen gas, oxygen gas, and water vapor.

Abstract: A touch panel having high durability is provided. Either one or both of a display device and a flexible panel have island-shaped protective bodies formed on surfaces of electrode layers (upper electrode layer, lower electrode layer), and a transparent conductive film is exposed between the protective bodies. Since the protective bodies protrude highly from the surface of the transparent conductive film, when the flexible panel is pressed and the upper electrode and the lower electrode layer are brought into contact, a load to be applied to the transparent conductive film is reduced by the protective bodies, so that the transparent conductive film is not broken.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a photovoltaic cell that is provided with an upper electrode that is arranged on the light incoming side and functions as a power extraction electrode, the method including the step of: forming the upper electrode on a substrate by sputtering using a target that contains a zinc oxide-based material, wherein in the step of forming the upper electrode, the sputtering is performed in an atmosphere that contains two or three selected from a group consisting of hydrogen gas, oxygen gas, and water vapor.

Abstract: A film forming method for a transparent electrically conductive film that forms a zinc oxide-based transparent electrically conductive film on a substrate by sputtering using a target containing a zinc oxide-based material, performing the sputtering in a reactive gas atmosphere that contains two types or three types selected from among a group consisting of hydrogen gas, oxygen gas and water vapor.

Abstract: Methods for enhancing survival and/or proliferation of neural stem cells and pharmaceutical compositions containing neural stem cells prepared by such methods, together with methods for assaying factors enhancing survival and/or proliferation of neural stem cells and methods for screening for such factors. Either Galectin-1 is overexpressed in neural stem cells or neural stem cells are cultured in a liquid medium containing Galectin-1. Pharmaceutical compositions containing Galectin-1-overexpressing neural stem cells and pharmaceutical composition containing Galectin-1, prepared by the aforementioned methods, improve higher cerebral functions damaged by cerebral ischemia.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a solar cell provided with an upper electrode which functions as an electrode for extracting electric power at a light incidence side of the solar cell and includes a ZnO-based transparent conductive film, the method comprising: forming the upper electrode by sputtering a target on which a formation material of the transparent conductive film is provided while applying sputtering voltage of 340V or less and generating a horizontal magnetic field on a target surface.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a solar cell provided with a buffer layer or an intermediate electrode. The buffer layer is disposed between a rear electrode and a photovoltaic cell. The rear electrode is disposed on the opposite side of a light incidence side and functions as an electrode for extracting electric power. The intermediate electrode is disposed between a plurality of photovoltaic cells. The intermediate electrode or the buffer layer comprises a ZnO-based transparent conductive film. The method comprises forming the intermediate electrode or the buffer layer by sputtering a target on which a formation material of the transparent conductive film is provided while applying sputtering voltage to generate a horizontal magnetic field on a surface of the target. The intermediate electrode or the buffer layer is formed through sputtering at a sputtering voltage of 340V or less.

Abstract: A method for forming a transparent conductive film forms the transparent conductive film containing ZnO as a basic element on a substrate by a sputtering which is performed by applying a sputtering voltage to a target made of a material to form the transparent conductive film and generating a horizontal magnetic field over a surface of the target. The sputtering is performed by setting the sputtering voltage to 340 V or less.

Abstract: Exfoliation of an etching stopper is prevented. A color filter of the present invention includes an inorganic protection film (etching stopper) composed mainly of SnO2. Since the inorganic protection film as such not only has a high specific resistance but also has a linear expansion coefficient close to the linear expansion coefficient of a transparent electrode, the inorganic protection film is not exfoliated from the transparent electrode or the resin layer even if an object to be processed is heated. Since the inorganic protection film and the transparent electrode can be formed in the same film forming chamber, the time required to produce the color filter can be shortened as compared to in the conventional technique.

Abstract: An electrode is prevented from being peeled from a substrate or a silicon layer. After the surface of a first copper thin film composed mainly of copper is treated by exposing it to an ammonia gas, a film of silicon nitride is formed on the surface of the first copper thin film by generating a plasma of a raw material gas containing a silane gas and an ammonia gas in an atmosphere in which an object to be processed is placed. Since the surface is preliminarily treated with the ammonia gas, the silane gas is prevented from being diffused into the first copper thin film. Therefore, an electrode constituted by the surface-treated first copper thin film is not peeled from the glass substrate or the silicon layer. In addition, its electric resistance value does not rise.

Abstract: A highly durable touch panel is provided. A touch panel according to the present invention includes a deformable flexible panel, and a transparent electrode film containing In2O3 as a primary component and containing Ti is exposed to a surface of a lower electrode film of a display device. Since such a transparent electrode film has a high abrasion resistance as compared to a conventional one (such as, an ITO thin film), the transparent electrode film is neither clouded nor cracked even if the lower electrode film is repeatedly pressed. Therefore, the touch panel according to the present invention is highly durable.

Abstract: A wiring film having excellent adhesion and barrier property and a low resistance value is formed. An oxygen gas is introduced into a vacuum chamber in which an object to be film formed is disposed; a sputtering target is sputtered in a vacuum ambience containing oxygen; and a first metallic film is formed on a surface of the object to be film formed. The first sputtering target includes copper as a major component and at least one kind of additive elements selected from an additive element group consisting of Mg, Al, Si, Be, Ca, Sr, Ba, Ra, Sc, Y, La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Pm, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb and Dy. Thereafter, a second metallic film is formed on a surface of the first metallic film by sputtering the sputtering target in a state in which the introduction of the oxygen gas into a vacuum ambience is stopped, and then a wiring film is formed by etching the first and second metallic films.

Abstract: A wiring film having excellent adhesion and a low resistance is formed. A barrier film having copper as a main component and containing oxygen is formed on an object to form a film thereon by introducing an oxygen gas into a vacuum chamber in which the object to form a film thereon and sputtering a pure copper target. Then, after the introduction of the oxygen gas is stopped, a low-resistance film made of pure copper is formed by sputtering the pure copper target. Since the barrier film and the low-resistance film have copper as the main component, they can be patterned at a time. Since the low-resistance film has a resistance lower than that of the barrier film, the resistance of the entire wiring film is reduced. Since the barrier layer has high adhesion to glass and silicon, the entire wiring film has high adhesion.

Abstract: An electroconductive film having high adhesion and a low resistivity is formed. An electroconductive film composed mainly of copper and containing an addition metal such as Ti is formed by sputtering a target composed mainly of copper in a vacuum atmosphere into which a nitriding gas is introduced. Such an electroconductive film has high adhesion to a silicon layer and a substrate, and is hardly peeled from the substrate. Further, since the electroconductive film has a low resistivity and a low contact resistance to a transparent electroconductive film, the electric characteristics do not degrade even when it is used as an electrode film. The electroconductive film formed by the present invention is suitable particularly as a barrier film for an electrode of a TFT or a semiconductor element.

Abstract: A conductive film having high adhesion and low specific resistance is formed. A target containing copper as a main component is sputtered in vacuum ambience while an oxygen gas introduced, and then, a conductive film containing copper as a main component and additive metals, such as Ti or Zr, is formed. Such a conductive film has high adhesion to a silicon layer and a glass substrate and is hardly peeled off from the substrate. Furthermore, the specific resistance is low and the contact resistance to a transparent conductive film is also low. Thus, no deterioration in the electric characteristics occurs even when the conductive film is used for an electrode film. Accordingly, the conductive film formed by the present invention suited for TFT, and electrode films and barrier films of semiconductor elements, in particular.

Abstract: A transparent electroconductive film having a low resistivity is provided. In a film-forming method of the present invention, a transparent electroconductive film is formed on a surface of a substrate by sputtering, in a vacuum atmosphere, a target in which ZnO is a main component and Al2O3 and TiO2 are added to ZnO, and then the transparent electroconductive film is annealed by the heating thereof at a temperature of 250° C. or more and 400° C. or less. The resistivity of the obtained transparent electroconductive film is reduced because the film has ZnO as the main component and Al and Ti added therein. The transparent electroconductive film formed by the present invention is suitable as a transparent electrode for the FDP, etc.