Abstract: A solar cell production method includes the steps of: forming a first electrode layer on a substrate, sequentially forming a p-layer, an i-layer and an n-layer of amorphous silicon on the first electrode layer, and forming a second electrode layer on the n-layer, wherein the i-layer is formed by a plasma CVD method employing plasma discharge caused by application of a pulse-modulated high frequency voltage having a pulse ON time of not longer than 50 &mgr; sec and a duty ratio of not higher than 50% to improve a photo-electric conversion efficiency of the solar cell.

Abstract: The invention relates to a plasma CVD method for the deposition of a thin film of amorphous silicon, or an amorphous silicon alloy, on a substrate by glow discharge decomposition of a raw material gas such as silane gas. The degradation of the photoconductivity of the obtained amorphous silicon film by irradiation with light is suppressed by mixing xenon gas with the raw material gas such that at the entrance to the reaction chamber the volume ratio of xenon gas to the raw material gas is not less than 1 and, preferably, not more than 30. A nearly comparable effect can be gained, and the material cost can be reduced, by mixing 1 part by volume of the raw material gas with 0.05 to 1 part of xenon gas and 5 to 30 parts of hydrogen gas.