Taiyo Yuden Co., Ltd.

Taiyo Yuden Kabushiki Kaisha

Other

Research Development Corporation of Japan

Agency of Industrial Science and Technology Ministry of International

Kogyo Gijutsuin

Japan As Represented by General Director of Agency of Industrial Science

President of Kogyo Gijutuin

Hideyo Iida

Yutaka Hayashi

Nobuyasu Shiba

Mizuho Imai

Toshio Mishuku

Mikio Sekiguchi

Kikuji Fukai

Akihiko Mochizuki

Atuo Itoh

Mitsuyuki Yamanaka

Atsuo Itoh

Hideyuki Karasawa

Atsuo Ito

Komei Kato

Koumei Kato

Yukiko Fujimaki

Atsuo Itou

Mithuyuki Yamanaka

An atomizer for forming a thin film comprising an atomizing box, a guide tube having an open end of small diameter and an other open end of large diameter, a nozzle having an ejection outlet disposed in the atomizing box, an atomizing solution reservoir defined in the atomizing box adjacent to the open end of large diameter of the guide tube, and a fluid return passage defined around the circumference of the guide tube for returning the atomized solution from the atomizing solution reservoir to the one open end thereof. The atomizing box can contain a plurality of guide tubes each provided with a nozzle. The guide tube can also have a plurality of nozzles positioned therein.

Atomizer for forming a thin film

There is disclosed an atomized thin film forming apparatus for forming a thin film by spouting an atomized source solution toward a heated substrate. A pair of inner wall surfaces defined at the upper portion of a film forming nozzle and disposed opposite to each other with respect to the longitudinal direction of a film forming chamber are restricted so as to gradually narrow in the interval therebetween toward a spouting opening in a smooth curve. Hence, it is possible to prevent a mist of the source solution atomized by the atomizer from being locally stagnant in the film forming nozzle and prevent a precipitate of the atomized source solution from growing. Consequently, the flow of the mist of the source solution is not hindered by the precipitation of the atomized source solution so that the thin film is formed over the surface of the substrate at a high uniformity for a long period of time.

Atomized thin film forming apparatus

A thin film forming apparatus which forms a thin film over a surface of a subtrate by spraying a mist of a source solution produced by atomization over the surface of the substrate heated to a given temperature. The film forming apparatus is provided with a pair of guide members for supporting and guiding the substrate at opposite sides of the same. The distance between the opposite inner surfaces of the guide members can be changed according to the width of the substrate to be supported and guided by the pair of guide members. The distance between the respective lower portions of the opposite inner surfaces of the pair of guide members is greater than the distance between the upper portions of the opposite inner surfaces of the same, so that the distribution of the flow rate per unit flow passage area of the mist of the source solution is uniform with respect to the width of the substrate and enables a thin film of a uniform thickness to be formed over the entire surface of the substrate.

Thin film forming apparatus having adjustable guide

A chemical sensor includes a field effect-type transistor. An extended gate electrode is connected to a gate electrode of the transistor. A sensitive membrane is provided on at least a part of the extended gate electrode. The sensor also includes a reference electrode. Both the extended gate and reference electrodes are formed on a substrate different from the substrate on which the transistor is formed. Divided parts for the chemical sensor wherein the parts of the sensor except for the reference electrode are made independent are also disclosed and claimed. Sensors for simultaneously sensing a number of different chemical substances in a single sample are also disclosed and claimed.

Chemical sensors and their divided parts

A thin film forming apparatus which forms a thin film over the film forming surface of a substrate by spraying a mist of a source solution produced by atomization over the film forming surface of the substrate heated to a given temperature. The substrate conveying direction is reversible, or a nozzle for spouting the mist into a film forming chamber and an exhaust duct are connected removably to a hearth forming the bottom wall of the film forming chamber and can be switched with one another. The film forming apparatus is capable of forming thin films of different laminate constructions.

Thin film forming apparatus

This invention relates to a method for forming a transparent conductive metal oxide film having good characteristic properties. The method comprises feeding an atomized or gasified starting material onto a substrate to form a metal oxide film on the substrate, wherein the substrate is heated to form a first metal oxide film having a good degree of orientation of crystals and a second film formation step wherein a second metal oxide film is formed on the first metal oxide film under higher substrate temperature conditions than those in the first film formation step to form a second metal oxide film having a degree of orientation of crystals in conformity with that of the first metal oxide film.

Method for forming a transparent conductive metal oxide film

An ion sensor includes an ion sensitive membrane formed from a vinyl polymer based compound containing a hydroxyl and/or carboxyl group. The membrane is provided on an extended gate electrode on a gate electrode of a field-effect type transistor. The ion sensor also includes a reference electrode arranged in opposition to the extended gate electrode. The extended gate electrode and reference electrode are formed on a substrate different from the substrate on which the field-effect type transistor is formed. A divided part for an ion sensor is also provided and includes the portions of the ion sensor discussed above except for the reference electrode. The divided part is used with a separate reference electrode.

Ion sensors and their divided parts

A mist supplying device for supplying a film-forming solution to form a thin film on a substrate includes a nozzle having an elongate outlet port, an atomizer coupled to the nozzle for atomizing the film-forming solution, and a disperser movably disposed in the nozzle between the outlet port and the atomizer and having a plurality of substantially uniformly distributed mist passages for passing the atomized film-forming solution in a first flow passage direction therethrough. An air blower is coupled to the atomizer for delivering the atomized film-forming solution into the nozzle. A driver unit is coupled to the disperser for reciprocally moving the mist passages in a second flow passage direction transverse to the first flow passage direction.

Mist supplying device for forming thin film

A thin-film solar cell has a two-layered transparent electrode formed on a transparent substrate, a photoelectric conversion section formed on the transparent electrode, and a back electrode formed on the photoelectric conversion section. The first layer of the transparent electrode is formed on the transparent substrate and is constituted of crystal grains having a large average diameter, while the second layer thereof is formed on the first layer and is constituted of crystal grains having a small average grain diameter. The sharp pointed tips of the coarse crystal grains of the first layer are covered by the fine crystal grains of the second layer so that the side of the transparent electrode in contact with the photoelectric conversion section presents a relatively smooth surface with rounded irregularities. Each layer is separately deposited on the respective transparent substrate.

Thin-film solar cell

An amorphous silicon solar battery is formed by applying a sequence of layers on a transparent substrate, preferably of glass. A transparent electrode film of conductive material is applied on the substrate, followed by an amorphous silicon semi-conductor, which is in turn followed by a back electrode film of transparent conductive film. In addition, a metallic film may be formed on the back electrode. The surface roughness of the first transparent conductive film is such that the average grain diameter is in the range of 0.1-0.9 micron. Impinging light rays are refracted at random by this uneven surface. The result is an increase in the current density of the solar battery, due to the increased optical paths of the light rays through the semi-conductor material and the increased reflection effect at the second transparent conductive film.

Amorphous silicon solar battery

A thin-film forming device has a support frame for supporting a substrate to be coated with a thin film, a reaction chamber having a space surrounded by the substrate supported on the support frame, side walls mounted under both sides of the substrate and a bottom wall mounted under the side walls, an atomizer for delivering an atomized solution of a material to be coated on the surface of the substrate, a heater disposed behind the substrate for heating the substrate to a temperature higher than a reaction temperature of the material, and a nozzle connected to the atomizer and disposed in the reaction chamber in facing relation to the substrate for spraying the atomized solution toward the surface of the substrate, and cooling means for cooling at least an inside portion of the bottom wall in facing relation to the substrate to a temperature below the reaction temperature of the material.

Thin-film forming device

A photoelectric transducer comprising at least a light-transmissive substrate having a relatively flat surface provided on its light-receiving side and an uneven surface provided on its opposite side, and a photoelectric transducing layer provided on the uneven surface of the substrate. The photoelectric transducing layer comprises at least a light-transmissive conductive layer, a semiconductor layer, and a back conductive electrode layer. The back conductive electrode layer comprises a second light-transmissive conductive layer and a conductive layer. The uneven surface on the substrate includes numerous projections, each projection having a triangular section and a shape of pyramidal, ridged roof, or conical type. The projections and the second light-transmissive conductive layer of the uneven back conductive electrode layer elongate the optical path of light beams in the photoelectric transducing layer, and prevent the adherence of dust particles and the abrasion of the photoelectric transducing layer.

Photoelectric transducer

A flexible, glass-covered substrate useful for use in fabrication of electronic elements or solar cells. The substrate comprises a thin metal plate, a first glass layer formed on at least one side of the metal plate and having a multitude of pores therein, and a second glass layer formed on the first glass layer is described. The method for making such substrates is also described.

Flexible insulative substrates having two glass layers at least one side

An amorphous semiconductor solar cell which comprises a glass substrate and a transparent electrode coated on the substrate. The device also comprises an amorphous semiconductor layer on the transparent electrode, and a rear electrode on the amorphous layer, wherein the average grain diameter of the surface of the transparent electrode ranges from 0.1 .mu.m to 2.5 .mu.m.

Growing community of inventors

Tokyo, Japan

Hideyo Iida