Abstract: A hard carbon film-coated substrate is disclosed which has between a substrate and a hard carbon film an interlayer principally comprised of at least one selected from the group consisting of Al, Cr, Sn, Co and B, oxides, nitrides and carbides thereof.

Abstract: A solar cell module according to this invention comprises a front surface member which is transparent, a rear surface member, a plurality of two-side incidence type solar cells sealed between the front surface member and the rear surface member, a connecting member which is conductive for electrically connecting the solar cells in series or in parallel, and a reflecting surface for reflecting light incident from the front surface member to a space between the solar cells which are adjacent each other and for introducing reflected light to a rear surface of the solar cell.

Abstract: In a solar electric power apparatus provided with a plurality of solar modules that are ranged in such a manner that edges of adjacent solar modules are overlapped, each solar module has a plurality of solar cells that are electrically connected in series with each other, with the serial connecting direction of the solar cells being set to a direction orthogonal to the ranging direction of the solar modules. Upon ranging these solar modules, one side portion of the solar module on the lower side on which a shadow of the solar module on the upper side is cast is formed into a non-power generation area by removing the solar cells therefrom.

Abstract: A hard carbon film-coated substrate is disclosed which has between a substrate and a hard carbon film an interlayer principally comprised of at least one selected from the group consisting of Al, Cr, Sn, Co and B, oxides, nitrides and carbides thereof.

Abstract: In processing an object to be processed by a laser beam, the laser beam is expanded by a beam expander and is introduced into a mask in which a light transmitted portion having a desired pattern is formed, the laser beam introduced into the mask is passed through the light transmitted portion having a desired pattern, to obtain a laser beam corresponding to the pattern of the light transmitted portion as well as having an approximately uniform energy distribution, the laser beam is formed and projected on the object to be processed by an image forming lens, and processing corresponding to the pattern of the light transmitted portion is performed on the object to be processed by the laser beam formed and projected. By this photoprocessing, a part of photoelectric converting elements in a photovoltaic device are removed to perform groove processing, or an amorphous semiconductor film is crystallized.

Abstract: A thin-film magnetic head includes an upper protective layer, a lower protective layer, and a head forming layer which is provided between the upper and lower protective layers, and the head forming layer further includes a recording head forming layer, a reproducing head forming layer, and a separation layer which is provided between the recording and reproducing head forming layers, while any one of the upper protective layer, the lower protective layer and the separation layer is formed by a diamond-like carbon coating.

Abstract: A thin-film magnetic head which is adapted to be relatively moved on a magnetic recording medium for writing and/or reading information to and/or from the magnetic recording medium includes a carbon film of not more than 200 .ANG. in thickness covering a slider surface of the thin-film magnetic head adapted to face the magnetic recording medium, and an intermediate layer formed in the form of island between the carbon film and the slider surface of the thin-film magnetic head.

Abstract: A method for forming the coated substrate includes a first step of forming the intermediate layer on the substrate in a vacuum chamber, and a second step of forming the hard carbon film on the intermediate layer within the same vacuum chamber. The first step may involve evaporation or sputtering of material atoms for the intermediate layer, either with or without plasma generation, or directly forming a plasma from a gas containing the material atoms. The second step may involve forming a plasma from a gas that contains carbon. Another method involves generating a plasma, applying a high frequency voltage to the substrate so as to generate a self-bias of not more than -20 V, and supplying a reaction gas that contains carbon.

Abstract: A method of forming a diamond-like carbon film on a substrate arranged in a vacuum chamber includes the steps of generating an arc-discharge plasma current in the vacuum chamber, supplying a reaction gas containing carbon atoms, such as CH.sub.4 gas for example, into the arc-discharge plasma current, applying a high-frequency voltage to the substrate so that a self-bias developed in the substrate is not more than -200 V, and forming a diamond-like carbon film from the reaction gas on the substrate that is supplied with the high-frequency voltage.

Abstract: A method of fabricating a three-dimensionally shaped photovoltaic device involves first forming a photovoltaic element on a flexible substrate, preferably while it is flat, and then deforming the substrate to achieve the three-dimensional shape. Preferably a crystalline photovoltaic conversion layer is first formed on the flat substrate, then the layer is cut or divided while leaving the substrate uncut to form a plurality of separate adjacent photovoltaic elements on the substrate, and finally the substrate is deformed into the three-dimensional shape. The cutting can be carried out by laser irradiation. The deforming can be carried out by providing a shape memory member as the substrate, or bonding a shape memory member onto the substrate, and then restoring the shape memory member to its previously memorized three-dimensional shape.

Abstract: A hard-carbon-film-coated substrate includes in stacked sequence a substrate, an intermediate layer, and a hard carbon film. The substrate consists of a metal or an alloy mainly composed of Ni or Al, or stainless steel. The intermediate layer is mainly composed of Ru, Si, Ge or carbon, or is a mixed layer including Ru, Si, or Ge mixed with at least one of carbon, nitrogen or oxygen, with a composition gradient across its thickness. An apparatus for forming the coated substrate especially includes means for forming the intermediate layer and means for forming the hard carbon film in the same vacuum chamber.

Abstract: A hard-carbon-film-coated substrate includes in stacked sequence a substrate, an intermediate layer, and a hard carbon film. The substrate consists of a metal or an alloy mainly composed of Ni or Al, or stainless steel. The intermediate layer is mainly composed of Ru, Si, Ge or carbon, or is a mixed layer including Ru, Si, or Ge mixed with at least one of carbon, nitrogen or oxygen, with a composition gradient across its thickness. An apparatus for forming the coated substrate especially includes means for forming the intermediate layer and means for forming the hard carbon film in the same vacuum chamber.

Abstract: A method of fabricating a three-dimensionally shaped photovoltaic device involves first forming a photovoltaic element on a flexible substrate, preferably while it is flat, and then deforming the substrate to achieve the three-dimensional shape. Preferably a crystalline photovoltaic conversion layer is first formed on the flat substrate, then the layer is cut or divided while leaving the substrate uncut to form a plurality of separate adjacent photovoltaic elements on the substrate, and finally the substrate is deformed into the three-dimensional shape. The cutting can be carried out by laser irradiation. The deforming can be carried out by providing a shape memory member as the substrate, or bonding a shape memory member onto the substrate, and then restoring the shape memory member to its previously memorized three-dimensional shape.

Abstract: The disclosed method of forming a high-function material film such as a ZrN thin film on a substrate in a vacuum chamber allows the color tone and uniformity of the film to be controlled. Gaseous nitrogen and gaseous oxygen, or nitrogen ions and oxygen ions, are supplied to the substrate while hard material atoms such as Zr atoms are emitted from an evaporation source toward the substrate. A supply partial pressure of the gaseous oxygen is set at a value within a range from about 10.sup.-5 Torr to about 10.sup.-4 Torr.

Abstract: The body of a micromachine has a plurality of energy-power converting means for receiving different forms of energy including rays, microwaves and sound waves and converting the different forms of energy to electric power, i.e., photoelectromotive devices, a microwave-power converter and an acousto-electromotive device. The electric power obtained by these means is supplied to a drive system and an operation system incorporated in the machine body.

Abstract: In a method of modifying a transparent conductive oxide film and in a method of manufacturing a photovoltaic device, a transparent conductive oxide film is irradiated with an energy beam for increasing the carrier concentration and thereby reducing the resistance of the transparent conductive oxide film.

Abstract: A method of forming a pseudo-diamond film on a base body, the method comprising a first step of irradiating carbon ions onto a surface of a base body from an assisting ion gun to form a mixture layer comprising base body material atoms and carbon atoms; a second step of simultaneously vapor-depositing the carbon atoms from a vapor deposition source and irradiating hydrogen ions from the assisting ion gun onto the mixture layer to form pseudo-diamond cores on the mixtures layer; and a third step of vapor-depositing carbon atoms from the vapor deposition source and irradiating hydrogen ions from the assisting ion gun onto the pseudo-diamond cores to form a pseudo-diamond film on the pseudo-diamond cores.

Abstract: A method of improving the quality of an edge surface of a cutting device, the method comprising a first step of irradiating assisting ions obtained from a first substance, which is in the state of gas in the room temperature, and a second substance, which is vapor-deposited from a hard material, onto a surface of a base body to form a first layer comprising of the hard material influenced by the assisting ions; and a second step of irradiating the second substance onto the first layer in an atmosphere of the first substance to form a second layer.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a novel dry-etching method for patterning a metallic film, whose surface is provided with an oxidized film, into an optional configuration by the use of the oxidized film. After drawing etching patterns of the metallic film by irradiating energy beam to the oxidized film formed on the surface of the metallic film, the dry-etching method according to the present invention causes the metallic film to expose itself to either radicals of reactive gas or to etching gas, and then selectively removes the area of metallic film in correspondence to the beam irradiated area of the oxidized film by applying chemical etching, thus eventually allowing the metallic film to be patterned into an optional configuration, without incuring physical damage to the etching face of the metallic film.

Abstract: A metallic insulative substrate having its surface coated with an insulative layer, on which a large number of photoelectric converter elements are electrically connected to each other in series by connecting the first back electrode layer of one of photoelectric converter elements adjoining each other with the second back electrode layer of the other. Accordingly, electrical connection of these electrode layers in series does not affect the effective area used for photoelectric conversion. This constitution also improves heat resistance of the insulative substrate. Electrical contact of the transparent light-receiving electrode layer) and the second back electrode layer is achieved via contact holes each having a diameter identical to the diameter of those of the insulative and semiconductive layers. As a result, a sufficient insulative distance is provided between the transparent electrode layer and the first back electrode layer so that occurrence of accidental shortcircuit can be securely prevented.