Abstract: A method for producing a semiconductor material, comprises a step of allowing impurity atoms, Ba atoms and Si atoms to react with each other, the impurity atoms being at least one atom selected from the group consisting of As atom, Sb atom, Bi atom and N atom; and a solar cell comprises the semiconductor material.

Abstract: A semiconductor device includes: a silicon layer (12); an intermediate silicide layer (28) that is provided on the silicon layer (12), has openings, and includes barium silicide; and an upper silicide layer (14) that covers the intermediate silicide layer (28), is positioned to be in contact with the silicon layer (12) through the openings, has a higher dopant concentration than the dopant concentration of the intermediate silicide layer (28), and includes barium silicide.

Abstract: A semiconductor device includes: a silicon layer (12); an intermediate silicide layer (28) that is provided on the silicon layer (12), has openings, and includes barium silicide; and an upper silicide layer (14) that covers the intermediate silicide layer (28), is positioned to be in contact with the silicon layer (12) through the openings, has a higher dopant concentration than the dopant concentration of the intermediate silicide layer (28), and includes barium silicide.

Abstract: A solar cell comprises a substrate; an n-type barium silicide layer being arranged on the substrate and containing Ba atoms and Si atoms; an n+-type barium silicide layer being arranged on the n-type barium silicide layer and containing impurity atoms which are at least one of atoms belonging to Groups 13 to 15 of the periodic table, Ba atoms, and Si atoms; an upper electrode arranged on the n+-type barium silicide layer; and a lower electrode arranged on the substrate.

Abstract: A method for producing a semiconductor material, comprises a step of allowing impurity atoms, Ba atoms and Si atoms to react with each other, the impurity atoms being at least one atom selected from the group consisting of As atom, Sb atom, Bi atom and N atom; and a solar cell comprises the semiconductor material.

Abstract: A solar cell comprises a substrate; an n-type barium silicide layer being arranged on the substrate and containing Ba atoms and Si atoms; an n+-type barium silicide layer being arranged on the n-type barium silicide layer and containing impurity atoms which are at least one of atoms belonging to Groups 13 to 15 of the periodic table, Ba atoms, and Si atoms; an upper electrode arranged on the n+-type barium silicide layer; and a lower electrode arranged on the substrate.

Abstract: An object is to provide a variable-wavelength light-emitting element which employs a direct gap semiconductor having a magnetic moment for a semiconductor layer serving as an active layer, so that the semiconductor has reduced crystal distortion and stable characteristics as the active layer of the light-emitting element, as well as a method of fabricating the variable-wavelength light-emitting element. A semiconductor silicide or a semiconductor silicide doped with transition metal is used to form an active layer (&bgr;-FeSi2 transformed into spheres) (2″) of a semiconductor light-emitting element, and the active layer is sandwiched between p-type and n-type semiconductor layers forming a pn junction, the p-type and n-type semiconductor layers having a forbidden bandwidth greater than that of the semiconductor silicide.