Kyocera Corporation

Yosuke Inomata

Yuko Fukawa

Hisao Arimune

Norihiko Matsushima

Ken Nishiura

Daisuke Nishimura

Toshifumi Sugawara

Tsuyoshi Uesugi

Mitsuo Yamashita

Koichiro Niira

Tomonari Sakamoto

Hiroshi Morita

Koji Nishi

Tatsuya Yashiki

Katsuhiko Shirasawa

Shuichi Fujii

Kenji Fukui

Kenichi Kurobe

Rui Yatabe

To provide a photoelectric conversion device having a high photoelectric conversion efficiency, a photoelectric conversion deviceincludes a substratea plurality of lower electrodeson the substratecomprising a metal element, a plurality of photoelectric conversion layerscomprising a chalcogen compound semiconductor formed on the plurality of lower electrodesand separated from one another on the lower electrodesa metal-chalcogen compound layercomprising the metal element and a chalcogen element included in the chalcogen compound semiconductor formed between the lower electrodeand the photoelectric conversion layeran upper electrodeformed on the photoelectric conversion layerand a connection conductorelectrically connecting, in a plurality of the photoelectric conversion layersthe upper electrodeto the lower electrodewithout interposition of the metal-chalcogen compound layer

Photoelectric conversion device and manufacturing method of the same

[Object] To provide a method for manufacturing a solar cell element including a semiconductor substrate that includes a high-concentration dopant layer located near the surface of the semiconductor substrate and a low-concentration dopant layer located more inside the semiconductor substrate than the high-concentration dopant layer. [Solving Means] A method includes heating a semiconductor substrate having a first conductivity type in a first atmosphere which contains a dopant having a second conductivity type and which has a first dopant concentration; heating in a second atmosphere the semiconductor substrate heated in the first atmosphere, the second atmosphere having a second dopant concentration less than the first dopant concentration; and heating in a third atmosphere the semiconductor substrate heated in the second atmosphere, the third atmosphere having a third dopant concentration greater than the second dopant concentration.

Solar cell element and method for manufacturing solar cell element

A surface electrode () is installed on the light receiving surface of a solar cell element, the surface electrode () comprises three bus bar electrodes () for extracting light-produced at the solar cell element to the outside and collecting finger electrodes () connected to these bus bar electrodes (), and the bus bar electrodes () are not less than 0.5 mm and not more than 2 mm in width and the finger electrodes () are not less than 0.05 mm and not more than 0.1 mm in width. A high-efficient solar cell module can be obtained with substantially lowered resistance by increasing the number of bus bar electrode () and thereby decreasing the lengths of the finger electrodes ().

Solar cell module and photovoltaic power generator using the same

A substrate processing apparatus that roughens the surface of a substrate through a dry etching method by covering the surface of the substrate to be processed with a plate provided with a number of opening portions. The plate is provided with the opening portions in such a manner that an open area ratio of the opening portions on the peripheral side is smaller than an open area ratio of the opening portions in the central portion when the plate is viewed in a plane. It is thus possible to form textures on the surface of the substrate efficiently and homogenously, which in turn makes it possible to manufacture highly efficient solar cells or the like at a low cost.

Method for producing a solar cell

A dry etching apparatus including a plateprovided in parallel or nearly parallel with an RF electrodeto cover a substrateplaced on the RF electrodedirectly or through a tray. The plateis provided with planar or nearly planar obstaclesthat inhibit a gas and plasma from passing through the plateas well as opening portions. This makes it possible to achieve conditions under which etching residues attach to the surface of the substrate faster by trapping the etching residues in a space between the surface of the substrateand the plate. Fine textures can be thus formed efficiently on the surface of the substrate (FIG.).

A dry etching apparatus that performs etching on a substrateplaced on a trayinside a chamberby covering the substratewith a plateprovided with opening portionsin which a distance D between the surface opposing the substrateand the substratein the peripheral portion of the plateis set shorter than the distance D between the surface opposing the substrateand the substratein the central portion of the plate. Textures can be thus formed homogeneously on the surface of the substrate.

Dry etching apparatus, dry etching method, and plate and tray used therein

A surface of a multicrystalline silicon substrate is etched with an alkaline aqueous solution in a condition so that a surface area-to-planar surface area ratio R is smaller than 1.1. A multiplicity of fine textures are formed over the irregularities by dry etching. This allows fine textures to be formed uniformly, and a solar cell with high efficiency can thus be produced.

Growing community of inventors

Yokaichi, Japan

Yosuke Inomata