Canon Kabushiki Kaisha

Shotaro Okabe

Akira Sakai

Masahiro Kanai

Tadashi Hori

Takahiro Yajima

Yasushi Fujioka

Yuzo Kohda

Tadashi Sawayama

Yuzo Koda

Tomonori Nishimoto

Ryo Hayashi

Takehito Yoshino

Takaharu Kondo

Yasutomo Fujiyama

Koichiro Moriyama

Masafumi Sano

Yasuyoshi Takai

Hiroyuki Ozaki

Hidetoshi Tsuzuki

Shuichiro Sugiyama

Takeshi Shishido

Hideo Tamura

Koichi Matsuda

Jinsho Matsuyama

Hirokazu Ohtoshi

Hiroshi Shimoda

Atsushi Yasuno

Satoshi Sugita

Takahiro Yajimaa

A method for forming a deposited film containing microcrystalline silicon on a moving substrate by plasma-enhanced CVD includes forming a deposited film containing microcrystalline silicon on a moving substrate by plasma-enhanced CVD under conditions such that when a deposited film having a thickness of 300 nm or more is formed on a substrate while the substrate is in a stationary state, an area of the microcrystalline silicon region in which an intensity of Raman scattering attributed to a crystalline substance in the deposited film is equal to or higher than three times an intensity of Raman scattering attributed to an amorphous is 50% or more of the total area based on the area of the microcrystalline silicon region and the area of a region composed of the amorphous.

Method for forming deposited film and photovoltaic element

A chemical-reaction inducing means is provided in an exhaust line connecting a processing space for subjecting a substrate or a film to plasma processing to an exhaust means, and at least either an unreacted gas or byproduct exhausted from the processing space are caused to chemically react without allowing plasma in the processing space to reach the chemical-reaction inducing means, thereby improving the processing ability of the chemical-reaction inducing means to process the unreacted gas or byproduct.

Exhaust processing method, plasma processing method and plasma processing apparatus

A method of forming a silicon-based thin film according to the present invention comprises introducing a source gas containing silicon fluoride and hydrogen into a vacuum vessel, and using a high frequency plasma CVD method to form a silicon-based thin film on a substrate introduced into the vacuum vessel, wherein a luminous intensity attributed to SiF&#x3b1; (440 nm) is not smaller than a luminous intensity attributed to H&#x3b1; (656 nm), thereby providing a photovoltaic element with excellent performance at a low cost as compared with a conventional one, a method of forming a silicon-based thin film with excellent characteristics in a short process cycle time at a further increased film-forming rate, a silicon-based thin film formed by the method, and a photovoltaic element comprising the silicon-based thin film with excellent characteristics, adhesion, and resistance to the environments.

Method of forming silicon-based thin film, silicon-based thin film, and photovoltaic element

To provide an apparatus for forming a deposited film, which is a parallel plate electrode type CVD apparatus, with a discharge vessel receiving a material gas flowing therein and discharging air therefrom, decomposing the material gas by the aid of a plasma generated therein, and depositing the film on the substrate, in which the exhaust port of the material gas exhaust means has an opening wider in the lateral direction than the parallel plate electrode. This structure diminishes the stagnant region of the material gas during the deposited film forming process and controls formation of by-products, to deposit the film uniform in quality and thickness.

Apparatus for forming deposited film

The invention provides a semiconductor element having a semiconductor junction composed of silicon-based films, at least one of the silicon-based films containing a microcrystal. The microcrystal is located in at least one interface region of the silicon-based film containing the microcrystal and has no orientation property. Further, the invention provides a semiconductor element having a semiconductor junction composed of silicon-based films, at least one of the silicon-based films containing a microcrystal, and the orientation property of the microcrystal changing in a film thickness direction of the silicon-based film containing the microcrystal. Thereby, a silicon-based film having a shortened tact time, an increased film forming rate, and excellent characteristics, and a semiconductor element including this silicon-based film having excellent adhesion and environmental resistance can be obtained.

Semiconductor element, and method of forming silicon-based film

In a process for forming a silicon-based film on a substrate according to the present invention, the substrate has a temperature gradient in the thickness direction thereof in the formation of the silicon-based film and the temperature gradient is made such that a deposition surface of the substrate has a higher temperature than a backside or the direction of the temperature gradient is reversed. With this configuration, the present invention provides a silicon-based thin film having good properties at a high deposition rate and provides a semiconductor device including it. The present invention also provides a semiconductor device including the silicon-based thin films that has good adhesion and weather-resisting properties and that can be manufactured in a short tact time.

Process for forming a silicon-based film on a substrate using a temperature gradient across the substrate axis

Deposition apparatus for manufacturing thin film

A process for producing a semiconductor device such as a photovoltaic element including a solar cell or a photosensor having a photoelectric conversion semiconductor layer formed by sequentially forming a p-type or n-type semiconductor layer composed of a non-single crystalline silicon series semiconductor material, an i-type semiconductor layer composed of a non-single crystalline silicon series semiconductor material, and an n-type or p-type semiconductor layer composed of a non-single crystalline silicon series semiconductor material on a substrate by means of plasma CVD, characterized in that at least one i-type semiconductor as said i-type semiconductor layer is formed in a discharge chamber having a cathode electrode by means of VHF plasma CVD using a silicon-containing raw material gas, wherein a VHF power of a wattage which is two times or less that of a VHF power required for decomposing 100% of said silicon-containing raw material gas is applied to said cathode electrode.

Process for producing a semiconductor device

A process for producing a semiconductor layer by introducing a raw gas into a discharge chamber and supplying high-frequency power to the chamber to decompose the raw gas by discharge, thereby forming a semiconductor layer on a substrate within the discharge chamber, the process comprising the steps of supplying high-frequency power of at least very high frequency (VHF) as the high-frequency power; supplying bias power of direct current power and/or high-frequency power of radio-frequency (RF) together with the high-frequency power of VHF to the discharge chamber; and controlling a direct current component of an electric current flowing into an electrode, to which the bias power is supplied, so as to fall within a range of from 0.1 A/m to 10 A/m in terms of a current density based on the area of an inner wall of the discharge chamber. A good-quality semiconductor layer can be deposited over a large area at a high speed.

Fabrication of photovoltaic cell by plasma process

A film-forming apparatus for forming a non-single crystalline silicon series semiconductor film on a substrate in a film-forming space provided in a vacuum chamber using a very high frequency power supplied through a high frequency power supply means comprising a bar-like shaped electrode, wherein said bar-like shaped electrode is arranged such that the longitudinal direction thereof intersects a direction for said substrate to be moved, and a length of said film-forming space relative to the direction for said substrate to be moved is in a range of from {fraction (1/16)} to &frac12; of a wavelength of said very high frequency power supplied in said film-forming space. A film-forming method for forming a non-single crystalline silicon series semiconductor film on a substrate using said film-forming apparatus.

Apparatus and method for forming a deposited film on a substrate

A method for forming a non-single-crystal semiconductor thin film and a photovoltaic device using an apparatus, which has a film deposition chamber with a film-forming space surrounded by a film deposition chamber wall and a belt-like substrate. An external chamber surrounding the deposition chamber wall is provided in the apparatus. While the belt-like substrate is moved in a longitudinal direction, a film-forming gas is introduced through a gas supply device into the film-forming space and microwave energy is radiated from a microwave applicator into the film-forming space to induce a microwave plasma, and thereby form a non-single-crystal semiconductor thin film on a surface of the belt-like substrate. A cooling mechanism and a temperature-increasing mechanism covering a part of an outside surface of the deposition chamber wall provide temperature control.

Method for forming non-single-crystal semiconductor thin film, and method for producing photovoltaic device

The photovoltaic element of the present invention is a photovoltaic element comprised of a semiconductor-junctioned element, characterized in that the element includes a first electrically conductive type semiconductor layer, a non-crystalline i type semiconductor layer, a microcrystalline i type semiconductor layer and a microcrystalline second electrically conductive type semiconductor layer and is pin-junctioned, and a method of and an apparatus for manufacturing the same are characterized by efficiently and continuously mass-producing the photovoltaic element having an excellent current-voltage characteristic and excellent photoelectric conversion efficiency. Thereby, there are provided a photovoltaic element in which the junction interface between the non-crystalline i type layer and the microcrystalline electrically conductive type layer has good grating consistency and which has an excellent current-voltage characteristic and excellent photoelectric conversion efficiency, and a method of and an apparatus for continuously mass-producing the same.

Method of manufacturing photovoltaic element and apparatus therefor

A high frequency plasma processing apparatus and a high frequency plasma processing method according to the invention can suitably be used for uniformly forming on a substrate a deposition film over a large area. The apparatus and the related method solve the problem wherein high frequency power supplied to a known plasma processing apparatus can become distorted to produce harmonics and give rise to difficulty in correctly reading the incident and reflected powers and realizing an accurate matching when a VHF is used in order to raise the processing rate.

Plasma processing apparatus and plasma processing method

The invention provides a process for producing a semiconductor layer by introducing a raw gas into a discharge chamber and supplying high-frequency power to the chamber to decompose the raw gas by discharge, thereby forming a semiconductor layer on a substrate within the discharge chamber, the process comprising the steps of supplying high-frequency power of at least very high frequency (VHF) as the high-frequency power; supplying bias power of direct current power and/or high-frequency power of radio-frequency (RF) together with the high-frequency power of VHF to the discharge chamber; and controlling a direct current component of an electric current flowing into an electrode, to which the bias power is supplied, so as to fall within a range of from 0.1 A/m,to 10 A/m,in terms of a current density based on the area of an inner wall of the discharge chamber. A good-quality semiconductor layer can be deposited over a large area at a high speed.

Deposition of semiconductor layer by plasma process

A process for forming a deposited film, a process for manufacturing a semiconductor element and a process for manufacturing a photoelectric conversion element are disclosed which each comprises a step of forming a first conductivity type semiconductor layer comprising a non-monocrystalline semiconductor on a substrate, a step of forming a substantially i-type semiconductor layer comprising an amorphous semiconductor on the first conductivity type semiconductor layer, a step of forming a substantially i-type semiconductor layer comprising a microcrystalline semiconductor on the substantially i-type semiconductor layer comprising the amorphous semiconductor while decreasing the film forming rate thereof and a step of forming a second conductivity type semiconductor layer comprising a non-monocrystalline semiconductor on the substantially i-type semiconductor layer comprising the microcrystalline semiconductor. Further, a process for forming a deposited film, a process for manufacturing a semiconductor element and a process for manufacturing a photoelectric conversion element are disclosed which each comprises a step of forming a first conductivity type semiconductor layer comprising a non-monocrystalline semiconductor on a substrate, a step of forming a substantially i-type semiconductor layer comprising an amorphous semiconductor on the first conductivity type semiconductor layer, a step of forming a substantially i-type semiconductor layer comprising a microcrystalline semiconductor on the substantially i-type semiconductor layer comprising the amorphous semiconductor and a step of forming a second conductivity type semiconductor layer comprising a non-monocrystalline semiconductor on the substantially i-type semiconductor layer comprising the microcrystalline semiconductor while increasing the film forming rate thereof. Thereby, a photoelectric conversion element having a high photoelectric conversion efficiency can be obtained with a high productivity.

Process for manufacturing semiconductor element using non-monocrystalline semiconductor layers of first and second conductivity types and amorphous and microcrystalline I-type semiconductor layers

Growing community of inventors

Nara, Japan

Shotaro Okabe