Canon Kabushiki Kaisha

Atsushi Yasuno

Masahiro Kanai

Hideo Tamura

Takehito Yoshino

Hiroshi Echizen

Yusuke Miyamoto

Koichiro Moriyama

Masatoshi Tanaka

Kohei Yoshida

Noboru Toyama

Akiya Nakayama

Takaharu Kondo

Yuichi Sonoda

Hirokazu Otoshi

Masumitsu Iwata

Akira Sakai

Yasushi Fujioka

Shotaro Okabe

Tadashi Hori

Hirokazu Ohtoshi

Hiroshi Izawa

A method of forming a deposited film according to the present invention includes: introducing a starting gas into a discharge space in a reaction vessel; and applying electric power to generate discharge to decompose the starting gas, wherein, when a self-bias voltage value which is generated at an electrode applied with first electric power reaches a preset threshold, second electric power higher than the first electric power is applied to the electrode to change the self-bias voltage value to another self-bias voltage value larger in absolute value than the threshold, and the deposited film is formed.

Method and apparatus for forming deposited film

A method of forming a laminate and a method of manufacturing a photovoltaic device using the laminate are provided. The laminate forming method includes a first step of forming an intermediate layer on a base member, and a second step of forming a metal layer on the intermediate layer, the adhesion of the metal layer to the base member being lower than that of the intermediate layer, the reflectance of the metal layer being higher than that of the intermediate layer. The rate of formation of the metal layer is increased at an intermediate stage in the second step. The laminate thereby formed has improved characteristics and is capable of maintaining improved reflection characteristics and adhesion even under high-temperature and high-humidity conditions or during long-term use.

Method of forming laminate and method of manufacturing photovoltaic device

A photovoltaic device including a plurality of unit devices stacked, each unit device comprising a silicon-based non-single-crystal semiconductor material and having a pn or pin structure, in which an oxygen atom concentration and/or a carbon atom concentration has a maximum peak in the vicinity of a p/n interface between the plurality of unit devices.

Photovoltaic device

A deposited film forming method and apparatus includes a belt-like member continuously conveyed through a film-forming chamber, one side of which is formed of the belt-like member. A reactive gas is introduced into the film-forming chamber, the interior of the film-forming chamber is evacuated, a high-frequency power induces a plasma therein, and a deposited film is formed on the belt-like member A discharge confining means is provided opposite to a deposited film forming side of the belt-like member to maintain constant contact with the belt-like member while it changes shape.

Deposited film forming method and deposited film forming apparatus

The present invention provides a photovoltaic device comprising an electricity generating layer including at least one p/n type junction, the layer comprising a silicon-based non-single-crystalline semiconductor material, wherein a nitrogen concentration has a maximum peak at the junction interface of the p/n type junction, and the nitrogen concentration at the maximum peak is within a range from 1&times;10 atom/cm to 1&times;10 atom/cm , thereby providing a photovoltaic device of high photoelectric conversion efficiency and high reliability.

To provide a deposited-film forming process and a deposited-film forming apparatus that may cause no scratches on the film forming surface to improve yield and enable stable discharge to thereby continuously form deposited films having uniform quality and uniform thickness, deposited films are formed by lengthwise continuously transporting a belt-like substrate so as to form a part of a discharge space, wherein the substrate is transported while bringing the transverse sectional shape of the substrate which forms a part of the discharge space into a curved shape by a roller.

Deposited-film forming process and deposited-film forming apparatus

A film forming method is described using an apparatus with a plurality of vacuum chambers which communicate with each other via a connection, where the apparatus has one or more detachable treatment rooms and where the method includes continuously forming a plurality of films on a band-shaped substrate within the treatment rooms, while continuously moving the substrate through the treatment rooms. The treatment rooms within said desired vacuum chambers are replaced after forming the film for a predetermined period as a part of the film forming method.

Film forming method

A film forming apparatus for forming a plurality of films on a substrate through a continuous process, comprising a plurality of vacuum chambers in communication to each other via connection, at least vacuum chamber having internally a treatment detachable from the vacuum chamber for fulfilling a predetermined treatment on the substrate.

Film forming apparatus

A photovoltaic element comprises a first non-monocrystalline silicon-containing semiconductor layer of a first-conductivity type, a first i-type non-monocrystalline silicon-containing semiconductor layer formed by microwave plasma CVD, a second i-type non-monocrystalline silicon-containing semiconductor layer formed by high-frequency plasma CVD, and a second non-monocrystalline silicon-containing semiconductor layer of a conductivity type opposite to the first-conductivity type, wherein the second semiconductor layer is formed by plasma doping.

Growing community of inventors

Nara, Japan

Atsushi Yasuno