Abstract: A moldless semiconductor device comprising a semiconductor chip held between outer-connecting terminals and connected electrically to the terminals is provided. At least one of the two terminals has, at its region contiguous to the semiconductor chip or at its region contiguous to the semiconductor chip and a region vicinal thereto, a hardness different from all other regions of the one terminal. This moldless semiconductor device can withstand significant external force and exhibits high reliability when used in photovoltaic device modules.

Abstract: Before electrically connecting at least two photovoltaic elements, a medium capable of absorbing at least 10% or more of a light having a wavelength of 0.4 &mgr;m to 2.0 &mgr;m is provided on an electric connection portion of the photovoltaic element, whereby the present invention provides a method of electrically connecting a group of photovoltaic elements to one another with a high yield and easy automatization.

Abstract: Before electrically connecting at least two photovoltaic elements, a medium capable of absorbing at least 10% or more of a light having a wavelength of 0.4 &mgr;m to 2.0 &mgr;m is provided on an electric connection portion of the photovoltaic element, whereby the present invention provides a method of electrically connecting a group of photovoltaic elements to one another with a high yield and easy automatization.

Abstract: The invention provides a coil member of rotating electrical machinery, by which improvements in the mass production and downsizing thereof are enabled, which is a coil assembly for rotating electrical machinery, consisting of a plurality of coil combinations mounted at iron core slots, wherein the respective coil combinations 14 are inserted into slots at pitches equivalent to an appointed number of slots, and are formed of an integral coil member 21 in which the first and the second linear portions 21A and 21B alternately disposed at the inner layer side and the outer layer side in the slots, and the first and the second turning portions 21C and 21D for connecting the first and second linear portions 21A and 21B adjacent to each other outward of one end side and outward of the other end side in the lengthwise direction of the slots are integrated together.

Abstract: By inspecting an electrical wiring route of a solar cell module while applying a load to the solar cell module, it is possible to more accurately judge the presence or absence of a defect in the electrical wiring route of the solar cell module.

Abstract: A process for producing a solar cell module comprising at least a photovoltaic element module is provided. The photovoltaic element module is formed by electrically connecting a plurality of photovoltaic elements with each other, after the individual photovoltaic elements are identified or classified into a plurality of groups which are different from each other in property and attribute. The photovoltaic element module is formed such that at least two kinds of photovoltaic elements having different property and attribute co-exist therein. A solar cell module having at least a photovoltaic element module comprising a plurality of photovoltaic elements electrically connected with each other is also provided; the plurality of photovoltaic elements comprises photovoltaic elements identified or classified into at least two kinds which are different in terms of property and attribute.

Abstract: Provided is an electrolytic etching method for etching treating an object to be etched by an electrochemical reaction through an electrolyte between the object to be etched and an etching electrode, wherein the contact angle of the electrolyte to the object to be etched is not more than 70°. Thus provided is an electrolytic etching method that can etch the object in a non-contact manner, that can reduce the cost, the number of steps, and the processing time, and that can enhance the patterning accuracy.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method of producing a photovoltaic element, which comprises a step of immersing a photovoltaic element having at least a first electrode layer, a semiconductor layer and a second electrode layer formed on a substrate into an electrolytic solution, and removing a short circuit current path caused by a defect in the photovoltaic element under the effect of an electric field, wherein the amount of a first ingredient and the amount of a second ingredient contained in the electrolytic solution are adjusted to control the concentration of hydrogen ions in the electrolytic solution, wherein the constituent substance of the second electrode layer is electrically dissolved by the first ingredient, and thereby it also provides a method of producing photovoltaic elements which is capable of reducing a leakage current caused by defect portions such as pin-holes existing in the photovoltaic elements with a large area to obtain photovoltaic elements with excellent photovoltage generation ch

Abstract: In a photovoltaic device module comprising a plurality of photovoltaic devices connected electrically through a metal member, an insulating member is so provided as to avoid contact between an edge portion of the photovoltaic device and the metal member. This can provide a photovoltaic device module which is inexpensive, easy to operate and highly reliable.

Abstract: A photovoltaic element with a low shadow, a high energy conversion efficiency, a high freedom in dimension and a high reliability with prolonged use is provided. The photovoltaic element comprises a photovoltaic layer having a first semiconductor junction layer for generating an electromotive force, a current collecting electrode provided at the light incident side of the photovoltaic layer, and a bypass diode connected in parallel, wherein the bypass diode is provided under the current collecting electrode as a bypass diode layer having a second semiconductor junction layer other than the first semiconductor junction layer of the photovoltaic layer.

Abstract: A solar cell module or a solar cell module which is provided with a readable and writable memory medium capable of writing in a large quantity of information of said solar cell module and capable of reading out necessary information from said memory medium. A solar cell system comprising said solar cell module or said solar cell module string. A method for supervising said solar cell module or said solar cell module string.

Abstract: A solar cell module has a very agreeable appearance and can carry a large volume of information on the light receiving surface thereof. An information carrying body storing information (including, for example, the date, the process the rated values, the destination of shipment, I-V curve data and other data) for identifying the module is invisibly arranged on the light receiving surface side of the solar cell module (e.g., on the front surface sealing member or the front surface member of the photovoltaic elements).

Abstract: The present invention aims to provide a highly reliable semiconductor element with high performance, and a fabrication method for such highly reliable semiconductor with excellent mass producibility. The photovoltaic elements comprise an electric conductor, semiconductor regions and a transparent conductor layer, which are sequentially formed on a substrate. The shunt resistance in the semiconductor element is rendered in the range from 1.times.10.sup.3 .OMEGA.cm.sup.2 to 1.times.10.sup.6 .OMEGA.cm.sup.2 by performing a forming treatment and a short circuit passivation treatment after forming the transparent conductor layer, and then selectively covering with insulation the defective portions with a cationic or anionic electrodeposited resin, or performing a forming treatment, after forming the semiconductor layers, then selectively covering with insulation the defective portions with a cationic or anionic electrodeposited resin, and then forming the transparent conductor layer.

Abstract: An etching apparatus is described comprising a substrate holding segment for holding a substrate with a portion to be etched, an electrolytic bath for maintaining an electrolyte solution therein, a locomotive mechanism for moving the substrate holding segment in order to immerse the substrate held on the substrate holding segment in the electrolyte solution maintained in the electrolytic bath, and a counter electrode holding segment for holding a counter electrode having a pattern corresponding a desired etching pattern to be formed at the portion to be etched of the substrate. The counter electrode is positioned to oppose the substrate held on the substrate holding segment.

Abstract: An electrode structure is formed by superposing a bar-shaped or linear metal member on an electroconductive layer comprising a polymeric resin and an electroconductive filler dispersed therein. The electroconductive layer may be formed as an electroconductive sheet in advance and patterned before it is superposed with the metal member, followed by heat and pressure application to provide an electrode structure showing a low resistivity, a large adhesion even to an elevation and a high reliability. The electrode structure is suitably used for providing a collector electrode structure on a photo-electricity generating device.

Abstract: A photovoltaic device is provided which comprises a semiconductor layer, and an electrode comprising an electrode member and an conductive resin layer, wherein the electrode member has a constitution of a complex of a core and a periphery, and the periphery contains no particle with a particle size larger than 2 .mu.m. The electrode of this photovoltaic device exhibits high current collecting efficiency and is reliable in long use term.

Abstract: An electrode structure is constituted by a first electrode, and at least one second electrode providing a pair of opposite portions with a prescribed spacing therebetween at which the first electrode is disposed. The electrode structure is suitably used for electrolytic etching and is effective in providing an accurate etching pattern without damaging the surface of an etching object.

Abstract: A photovoltaic device is provided which comprises at least one metal wire on a surface of a photovoltaic element for collecting the power generated by the photovoltaic element, the at least one metal wire being coated with an electroconductive adhesive over the entire length and fixed onto the photovoltaic element. The photovoltaic device is produced without applying and curing the electroconductive adhesive in the photovoltaic device production process at low cost with high reliability.

Abstract: A method for etching an object having a portion to be etched on the surface thereof, comprising a step of immersing said object in an electrolyte solution such that said object serves as a negative electrode; a step of arranging a counter electrode having a pattern corresponding to a desired etching pattern to be formed at said portion to be etched of said object in said electrolyte solution so as to maintain a predetermined interval between said counter electrode and said object, and a step of applying a direct current or a pulse current between said object and said counter electrode to etch said portion to be etched of said object into a pattern corresponding to said pattern of said counter electrode.

Abstract: A photovoltaic element comprising an electrode comprising an electrically conductive core member which is coated with a conductive adhesive fixed on the light incident surface of a photoactive semiconductor layer, via the conductive adhesive, is disclosed.The conductive adhesive is composed of at least two layers. The softening point of the conductive adhesive layer nearer to the core member is higher than the highest temperature encountered in the manufacture of the photovoltaic element.