Abstract: The method of the present invention is a method of forming a silicon-based semiconductor layer by introducing a source gas into a vacuum vessel and forming a silicon-based semiconductor layer containing a microcrystal on a substrate introduced into the vacuum vessel by plasma CVD, which comprises a first step of forming a first region with a source gas containing halogen atoms, and a second step of forming a second region on the first region under a condition where the source gas containing halogen atoms in the second step is lower in gas concentration than that of the first step, thereby providing a method of forming a silicon-based semiconductor layer having an excellent photoelectric characteristic at a film forming rate of an industrially practical level and a photovoltaic element using the silicon-based semiconductor layer formed by the method.

Abstract: The stacked photovoltaic element of the present invention is a stacked photovoltaic element comprising a stack formed of a plurality of unit elements each having a pin constitution, and a transparent electrode provided on the surface of a light incident side of the stacked unit elements, wherein the transparent electrode provided on the surface of the light incident side comprises indium tin oxide (ITO), and the transparent electrode has 90% or more and 99.8% or less in transmittivity of a light of the maximum absorption wavelength of a unit element having the smallest current in a light collection efficiency measurement among the plurality of unit elements, and 50 ?/? or more and 300 ?/? or less in sheet resistance. Such a constitution of the present invention provides a stacked photovoltaic element having an excellent photoelectric conversion efficiency and high reliability at a low cost.

Abstract: An apparatus for processing a substrate intermittently transferred includes a transferring unit, including a plurality of rotary rollers for transferring a substrate and also includes at least one removing unit for removing foreign substances present on the curved face of one of the rotary rollers, the rotary roller spaced upstream of a winding unit for winding the substrate.

Abstract: The present invention provides a photovoltaic element including a structure with a first pin-junction having an i-type semiconductor layer made of amorphous silicon and a second pin-junction having an i-type semiconductor layer contains crystalline silicon which are arranged in series on a substrate, wherein the first pin-junction has a first intermediate layer at a p/i interface and a second intermediate layer at an n/i interface, and the second pin-junction has a third intermediate layer at a p/i interface and a fourth intermediate layer at an n/i interface, and wherein the second intermediate layer and the third intermediate layer are made of amorphous silicon and the first intermediate layer and the fourth intermediate layer contain crystalline silicon, or wherein the second intermediate layer and the third intermediate layer contain crystalline silicon and the first intermediate layer and the fourth intermediate layer are made of amorphous silicon.

Abstract: A gas adsorptive member is disposed in a space communicating with film deposition chambers, and deposition films are deposited while continuously feeding gas components released from this member, thereby enabling the high quality and uniform deposition films to be formed on the substrate with good reproducibility.

Abstract: In a sputtering method for forming a film on a substrate in a film forming space while monitoring emission intensity of plasma, the method comprises the steps of detecting a thickness of the film formed on the substrate; comparing a detected value with a preset value of the film thickness; and deciding a target value of the emission intensity in accordance with a compared result. With the method, a transparent conductive film is formed which has high uniformity in film thickness, sheet resistance and transmittance and hence has superior characteristics.

Abstract: There is disclosed an exhaust processing process of a processing apparatus for processing a substrate or a film, which comprises after the processing of the substrate or the film, introducing a non-reacted gas and/or a by-product into a trap means comprising a filament comprised of a high-melting metal material comprising as a main component at least one of tungsten, molybdenum and rhenium; and processing the non-reacted gas and/or the by-product inside the trap means. This makes it possible to prevent lowering in exhaust conductance to lengthen the maintenance cycle of the processing apparatus, and to provide a high-quality product (processed substrate or film).

Abstract: Provided is a stacked photovoltaic device characterized in that: a first i-type semiconductor layer comprises amorphous silicon hydride, and second and subsequent i-type semiconductor layers comprise amorphous silicon hydride or microcrystalline silicon, the i-type semiconductor layers being stacked in order from a light incidence side; and when an open circuit voltage is assigned Voc in the case where a pin photoelectric single element is manufactured using a pin element having the i-type semiconductor layer made of microcrystalline silicon of pin elements having the second and subsequent i-type semiconductor layers, respectively, and a layer thickness of the i-type semiconductor layer concerned is assigned t, a short-circuit photoelectric current density of the stacked photovoltaic device is controlled by the pin element including the i-type semiconductor layer having the largest value of Voc/t.

Abstract: Provided is a method of forming a transparent, conductive film on a semiconductor layer formed on a substrate, by sputtering, wherein voltages are applied independently of each other to both a target and the substrate, respectively, and a bias voltage appearing in the substrate is controlled so as to form the transparent, conductive film on only a portion except for a defective region of the semiconductor layer, thereby restraining shunting of the transparent, conductive film and achieving excellent appearance thereof. Also provided are a defective region compensation method of a semiconductor layer, a photovoltaic element, and a method of producing the photovoltaic element.

Abstract: A substrate treatment process includes plural steps of delivering a long substrate with application of tensile force to the substrate, wherein the strength of the tensile force is changed at least between a first delivery step and a second delivery step. This process prevents enlargement of edge waviness of a belt-shaped substrate to stabilize the plasma discharge.

Abstract: A plating apparatus includes a plating vessel for holding a plating bath containing at least metal ions, a conveying device for conveying a long conductive substrate and immersing the long conductive substrate in the plating bath, a facing electrode disposed in the plating bath so as to face one surface of the conductive substrate, a voltage application device for performing plating on the one surface of the conductive substrate by applying a voltage between the conductive substrate and the facing electrode, and a film-deposition suppression device fixedly disposed in the plating vessel so that at least a portion of the film-deposition suppression means is close to shorter-direction edges of the conductive substrate. At least a portion of the film-deposition suppression device close to the shorter-direction edges of the conductive substrate is conductive.

Abstract: A liquid-phase growth method for immersing a polycrystalline substrate in a melt in a crucible wherein crystal ingredients are dissolved, thereby growing poly crystals upon the substrate, comprises a first step for growing poly crystals to a predetermined thickness, and a second step for melting back a part of the poly crystals grown in the first step in the melt, wherein the relative position between the substrate and melt is changed between the first step and second step, bringing melt with different temperature into contact with the polycrystalline surface. The obtained poly crystals have properties rivaling those of poly crystals used in conventional solar cells but with little risk of trouble such as line breakage of grid electrodes in application to solar cells, and can be obtained in great quantities at low costs.

Abstract: There is disclosed an exhaust processing process of a processing apparatus for processing a substrate or a film, which comprises after the processing of the substrate or the film, introducing a non-reacted gas and/or a by-product into a trap means comprising a filament comprised of a high-melting metal material comprising as a main component at least one of tungsten, molybdenum and rhenium; and processing the non-reacted gas and/or the by-product inside the trap means. This makes it possible to prevent lowering in exhaust conductance, to lengthen the maintenance cycle of the processing apparatus, and to provide a high-quality product (processed substrate or film).

Abstract: The method of the present invention is a method of forming a silicon-based semiconductor layer by introducing a source gas into a vacuum vessel and forming a silicon-based semiconductor layer containing a microcrystal on a substrate introduced into the vacuum vessel by plasma CVD, which comprises a first step of forming a first region with a source gas containing halogen atoms, and a second step of forming a second region on the first region under a condition where the source gas containing halogen atoms in the second step is lower in gas concentration than that of the first step, thereby providing a method of forming a silicon-based semiconductor layer having an excellent photoelectric characteristic at a film forming rate of an industrially practical level and a photovoltaic element using the silicon-based semiconductor layer formed by the method.

Abstract: A gas adsorptive member is disposed in a space communicating with film deposition chambers, and deposition films are deposited while continuously feeding gas components released from this member, thereby enabling the high quality and uniform deposition films to be formed on the substrate with good reproducibility.

Abstract: There are provided techniques of forming a back reflecting layer with constant characteristics throughout long-term film formation and forming a metal oxide film so as to be able to maintain a current of a bottom cell and thereby keep a short-circuit current Jsc of a solar cell constant over a long period of time. A sputtering method is a method of forming a stack of a metal film and a metal oxide film, comprising the step 1 of forming a metal layer on a substrate, the step 2 of bringing a surface of the metal layer into contact with active oxygen, and the step 3 of forming a metal oxide film thereon after the step 2, wherein in the step 2 an amount of active oxygen at a first substrate position is different from that at a second substrate position.

Abstract: A gas adsorptive member is disposed in a space communicating with film deposition chambers, and deposition films are deposited while continuously feeding gas components released from this member, thereby enabling the high quality and uniform deposition films to be formed on the substrate with good reproducibility.

Abstract: In a process for forming on a substrate a transparent conductive film having crystallizability, the process comprises a first step of forming a film at a first film formation rate and a second step of forming a film at a second film formation rate, and the relationship between film formation rates in the respective steps satisfies:

Abstract: Provided is a method of forming a transparent, conductive film on a semiconductor layer formed on a substrate, by sputtering, wherein voltages are applied independently of each other to both a target and the substrate, respectively, and a bias voltage appearing in the substrate is controlled so as to form the transparent, conductive film on only a portion except for a defective region of the semiconductor layer, thereby restraining shunting of the transparent, conductive film and achieving excellent appearance thereof. Also provided are a defective region compensation method of a semiconductor layer, a photovoltaic element, and a method of producing the photovoltaic element.

Abstract: In a sputtering method for forming a film on a substrate in a film forming space while monitoring emission intensity of plasma, the method comprises the steps of detecting a thickness of the film formed on the substrate; comparing a detected value with a preset value of the film thickness; and deciding a target value of the emission intensity in accordance with a compared result. With the method, a transparent conductive film is formed which has high uniformity in film thickness, sheet resistance and transmittance and hence has superior characteristics.