Abstract: A film of zinc oxide electrochemically deposited from an aqueous solution is subjected to heat treatment at a temperature equal to or higher than 150° C. and equal to or lower than 400° C. in a nitrogen or inert gas atmosphere that contains oxygen, thereby obtaining a zinc oxide film that is low in electric resistance without impairing the light transmittance of the zinc oxide film.

Abstract: In a zinc oxide film having a plurality of texture constituents comprised of hills each having structure wherein a first surface borders on a second surface along one curved line, texture constituents in which first surfaces the hills of the texture constituents have have an average angle of inclination in a size within the range of from 30 degrees or more to 60 degrees or less and second surfaces have an average angle of inclination in a size within the range of from 10 degrees or more to 35 degrees or less account for at least a half of the plurality of texture constituents. This enables improvement in characteristics and durability of zinc oxide films used as optical confinement layers in photovoltaic devices, and also enables formation thereof at a low cost.

Abstract: A method for forming a deposition film from an aqueous solution by electrochemical reaction includes the steps of: forming the targeted deposition film under primary deposition conditions; replacing at least part of members in contact with the solution or removing deposit on surfaces of the members; and depositing a film under secondary deposition conditions. These steps are performed in that order. Then, the deposition film is formed again under the primary deposition conditions. In the method, the resulting deposition film exhibits desired characteristics even after maintenance of the deposition apparatus.

Abstract: A film of zinc oxide electrochemically deposited from an aqueous solution is subjected to heat treatment at a temperature equal to or higher than 150° C. and equal to or lower than 400° C. in a nitrogen or inert gas atmosphere that contains oxygen, thereby obtaining a zinc oxide film that is low in electric resistance without impairing the light transmittance of the zinc oxide film.

Abstract: A deposition apparatus of the present invention is arranged so that a surface area of a radio-frequency power applying cathode electrode disposed in a glow discharge space, in a space in contact with discharge is greater than a surface area of the whole of a ground electrode (anode electrode) including a beltlike member in the discharge space. This structure can maintain the potential (self-bias) of the cathode electrode disposed in the glow discharge space automatically at a positive potential with respect to the ground (anode) electrode including the beltlike member. As a result, the bias is applied in the direction of irradiation of ions with positive charge to a deposit film on the beltlike member, so that the ions existing in the plasma discharge are accelerated more efficiently toward the beltlike member, thereby effectively giving energy to the surface of deposit film by ion bombardment.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a method of forming a microcrystalline silicon film by using a raw gas containing at least a silicon compound by a high-frequency plasma CVD method, wherein the formation of the film is conducted in such a manner that the residence time, &tgr; (ms) of the raw gas in a film deposition chamber, which is defined as &tgr; (ms)=78.9×V×P/M, in which V is a volume (cm3) of the deposition chamber, P is a deposition pressure (Torr), and M is a total flow rate (sccm) of the raw gas, satisfies &tgr;<40. The method permits the formation of a good-quality microcrystalline silicon film at low cost.

Abstract: The deposited-film-forming apparatus of the present invention is an apparatus for forming deposited films while continuously passing a belt-like member through the insides of a plurality of vacuum chambers connected via connecting members and superposingly forming a plurality of different thin films on the surface of the belt-like member by plasma-assisted CVD, wherein the vacuum chambers are fixed to a stand for supporting the vacuum chambers, and a mechanism for relaxing stress acting in the transport direction of the belt-like member, generated in the vacuum chambers by the action of expansion and contraction due to thermal expansion of the vacuum chambers, is provided between each vacuum chamber and each connecting member.

Abstract: Provided is a method of forming a microcrystalline silicon film by a plasma CVD, which comprises introducing a high frequency electromagnetic wave into a film forming space through an electrode to induce a plasma thereby forming a deposited film on a substrate, wherein the relation of 400<Q<10000 is satisfied when Q is defined as Q=P.multidot.f.sup.2 /d where d (cm) is the distance between the substrate and the electrode, P (Torr) is the pressure of the film forming space during formation of the deposited film, and f (MHz) is the frequency of the high frequency electromagnetic wave-forming method of microcrystalline silicon film for forming a microcrystalline silicon film by plasma CVD, wherein Q defined as Q=P.multidot.f.sup.

Abstract: The present invention provides a forming method of a semiconductor thin film by a plasma CVD process comprising introducing a source gas and a high-frequency power into a film forming chamber to generate a plasma therein, thereby forming a semiconductor thin film on a substrate, wherein the frequency of the high-frequency power is within a range of 50 MHz to 2 GHz, the input power density thereof is within a range of 0.001 to 1.0 W/cm.sup.3, the discharge pressure is within a range of 0.005 to 0.5 Torr, the temperature of the substrate is within a range of 150 to 500.degree. C., and wherein a metal mesh is disposed so as to substantially confine the plasma between the substrate and a source gas introducing portion, thereby forming the semiconductor thin film.

Abstract: A photovoltaic device and a photoelectric transducer having a pin-structure semiconductor layer formed by superposing a p-type semiconductor layer, an i-type semiconductor layer and an n-type semiconductor layer wherein the i-type semiconductor layer comprises a non-single crystal semiconductor and average grain size distribution of crystal grains of the i-type semiconductor layer is not uniform are provided. Methods of manufacturing the photovoltaic device and the photoelectric transducer are also provided. The manufacturing methods according to the invention can produce photovoltaic devices and photoelectric transducers having an excellent photoelectric conversion efficiency and a remarkable optical stability at an enhanced rate and at low cost.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing thin films by plasma CVD is described. This method comprises supplying power to a power electrode in a way such that a self-bias upon plasma discharge of the power applying electrode, which is situated in a plasma discharge space, is a positive potential relative to a ground electrode.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a photoelectric conversion element containing at least one pin junction, wherein a diffusion preventing layer is provided between an n-type layer and an i-type layer and/or between an i-type layer and a p-type layer, and the diffusion preventing layer is deposited such that deposition temperature differs in its thickness direction.

Abstract: A photovoltaic device comprises a semiconductor region having at least one set of semiconductor layers comprised of a first semiconductor layer having a first conductivity type, an intrinsic or substantially intrinsic second semiconductor layer, and a third semiconductor layer having a conductivity type opposite to that of the first conductivity type, the layers being formed in this order, and first and second electrodes provided such that the electrodes interpose the semiconductor region; wherein the density of a dopant impurity determining the conductivity type of the first semiconductor layer in a set of semiconductor layers which is in contact with the first electrode is varied so as to be lower on the side of the first electrode, or the grain size of crystals in the first semiconductor layer is varied so as to be smaller on the side of the first electrode.

Abstract: The present invention aims to provide a photovoltaic element which can maintain high initial characteristics over long term usage even under severe environments, and can be mass-produced with high yield.A photovoltaic element in which a light reflecting layer, a light reflection multiplying layer, an n-type layer, an i-type layer, and a p-type layer composed of a non-single crystal semiconductor material comprising at least silicon, and a transparent electrode are successively formed on a conductive substrate, characterized in that said light reflecting layer comprises silver or copper atoms as the main constituent and further contains at least one of oxygen, nitrogen, and carbon.Also, in another embodiment, this photovoltaic element is characterized in that said light reflecting layer comprises silver as the main constituent, and further contains lead, lead and gold, or lead, gold, and a first transition group metal in an amount of 2 to 100 ppm.