Canon Kabushiki Kaisha

Yuichi Sonoda

Noboru Toyama

Yusuke Miyamoto

Kozo Arao

Hideo Tamura

Masumitsu Iwata

Takaharu Kondo

Masafumi Sano

Ryo Hayashi

Hidetoshi Tsuzuki

Akiya Nakayama

Atsushi Yasuno

Satoru Yamada

Yasuyoshi Takai

Koichi Matsuda

Tomonori Nishimoto

Tetsuro Nakamura

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 film of zinc oxide electrochemically deposited from an aqueous solution is subjected to heat treatment at a temperature equal to or higher than 150&#xb0; C. and equal to or lower than 400&#xb0; C. in a nitrogen or inert gas atmosphere that contains oxygen, thereby obtaining a zinc oxide film that is low in electric resistance without impairing the light transmittance of the zinc oxide film.

Zinc oxide film treatment method and method of manufacturing photovoltaic device utilizing the same

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. By holding the conductive portion of the film-deposition suppression device and the conductive substrate at substantially the same potential, film deposition on the other surface of the conductive substrate is suppressed.

Plating apparatus and method

The present invention provides a method of producing a zinc oxide thin film in which a current is passed between a conductive substrate immersed in an aqueous solution containing at least zinc ions, ammonium ions and zinc ammonia complex ions, and an electrode as an anode immersed in the aqueous solution to form a zinc oxide thin film on the conductive substrate. This method stabilizes formation of the zinc oxide thin film and improves adhesion between the thin film and the substrate.

Method of producing zinc oxide thin film, method of producing photovoltaic device and method of producing semiconductor device

The present invention provides a web conveying apparatus for conveying a web while holding the web and applying tension to the web, wherein the conveying apparatus has a plurality of rollers with which the web contacts to be conveyed, and at least one roller of the plurality of rollers has a mechanism for limiting deformation of the web within Y/E, and a web conveying method using a web conveying apparatus for conveying a web while holding the web and applying tension to the web, wherein the conveying apparatus has a plurality of rollers with which the web contacts to be conveyed, and the web is conveyed while the deformation of the web is limited within Y/E by a mechanism that is provided for at least one roller of the plurality of rollers. The apparatus and the method prevent meandering of the web.

Web conveying apparatus, and apparatus and method for electrodeposition using web conveying apparatus

Disclosed are a process for producing a zinc oxide film comprising the steps of transporting a conductive long substrate via above at least one electrode comprised of zinc in an electrodeposition bath held in an electrodeposition tank and applying an electric field between the electrode and the conductive long substrate, thereby forming a zinc oxide film on the conductive long substrate, the process comprising a first step of forming the zinc oxide film on a part of the conductive long substrate; a second step of stopping the application of the electric field and the transportation; and a third step of bringing at least a region of a part of the conductive long substrate being in contact with the electrodeposition bath in the second step into non-contact with the electrodeposition bath, and an apparatus suitably used for the process. The process and apparatus enables high-quality zinc oxide films to be produced.

Apparatus and process for producing zinc oxide film

A substrate for a solar cell is provided which comprises a support having a metal surface and a zinc oxide film formed on the metal surface and having a water content of 7.5&times;10 mol/cm or less, preferably 4.0&times;10 mol/cm or more. Thereby, the increase of series resistance and the generation of shunt are prevented and the efficiency such as Jsc and the chemical stability are improved, thus obtaining a solar cell with a zinc oxide film having optimal overall characteristics.

Substrate for solar cell, solar cell having the same, and production process of solar cell

The present process for electrodepositing a zinc oxide film comprises the steps of immersing a substrate and an opposing electrode in an electrodeposition bath which contains zinc nitrate and is kept heated, and forming the zinc oxide film on the substrate by passing a current between the substrate and the opposing electrode, wherein the process further includes a step of trapping the particles of zinc oxide precipitated in the electrodeposition bath by circulating or stirring the bath before the formation of the zinc oxide film, whereby the present process can prevent the generated zinc oxide powder from depositing on the surfaces of the substrate and the zinc oxide film formed by electrodeposition when restarting or starting the formation of a zinc oxide film by the electrodeposition using an electrodeposition apparatus, and hence the formation of a uniform zinc oxide film free from defects.

Process for electrodepositing zinc oxide film

Disclosed are an electrodeposition process comprising the steps of transporting a substrate in an electrodeposition bath, and forming a film on the substrate, which process further comprises the step of removing particles from the surface of the substrate; and an electrodeposition apparatus comprising an electrodeposition tank for holding therein an electrodeposition bath, a mechanism for transporting a continuous-length-substrate while holding the substrate thereon, and an opposing electrode, which apparatus further comprises a mechanism for removing particles from the surface of the continuous-length substrate. These can provide a process and an apparatus by and in which dust in the bath or any particles due to film-peeling from electrodes can be prevented from causing difficulties such as impact marks in a film-deposited substrate during its transport, to form a good-quality electrodeposited film.

Process and apparatus for forming zinc oxide film, and process and apparatus for producing photovoltaic device

The present invention provides a method of forming a zinc oxide film on a conductive substrate, which comprises dipping the conductive substrate and a counter electrode in an aqueous solution containing at least nitric acid ion and zinc ion and supplying a current between these electrodes to form a zinc oxide film, wherein the aqueous solution further contains polycarboxylic acid in which a carboxyl radical is bonded to each of carbon having sp2 hybrid orbital, or its ester with a concentration of 0.5 &mgr;mol/L to 500 &mgr;mol/L. Thereby, it is possible to form in a short time a thin film having texture structure exhibiting an optical confinement effect, to prevent abnormal growth of a deposited film, and to obtain a zinc oxide thin film having excellent uniformity and adhesion on a surface thereof where the film is formed. Also, by applying the photovoltaic device to a stacked structure, it is possible to enhance the photoelectric characteristics and mass producibility.

Method of forming zinc oxide film and process for producing photovoltaic device using it

The method of the present invention is a method of producing a thin film of zinc oxide, which comprises immersing a counter electrode and a conductive substrate as a negative electrode in an aqueous solution containing nitrate ions and 0.05 mol/liter or more of zinc ions, and passing a current between the counter electrode and the conductive substrate to electrochemically deposit zinc oxide on the conductive substrate from the aqueous solution, thereby forming a thin film of zinc oxide, wherein a film forming rate of the thin film is varied at least one time midway during an electrolytic deposition reaction for forming the thin film. The present invention can provide the following meritorious advantages: it is possible to form a texture-structured thin film effective in optical confinement in a short time by using the above electrolytic deposition method advantageous for lowering a production cost, to prevent abnormal growth of a deposited film, to have a film surface excellent in uniformity and adhesion, and to improve photoelectric characteristics and promote mass productivity by applying the present invention to the stacked structure of a photovoltaic element.

Method of producing thin film of zinc oxide, process for manufacturing photovoltaic element using its method, and photovoltaic element

There is disclosed an electrodeposition method capable of suppressing the drop in the power supply voltage and minimizing the heat loss by the electrodeposition current, thereby achieving uniform film formation with satisfactory characteristics. A conductive substrate is dipped in an electrodeposition bath held in an electrodeposition tank, and an oxide is electrolytically deposited on the conductive substrate. An electricity feed means as at least one electrode of the electrodeposition tank is composed of a conductive member so provided as to be in contact with a back surface of the conductive substrate, wherein the contact position of the electricity feed means and the conductive substrate is outside the electrodeposition bath, and wherein the resistance, including contact resistance, between the closer to the electricity feed means of a position of entry of the conductive substrate into the electrodeposition bath and a position of discharge of the conductive substrate from the electrodeposition bath, and the contact position of the conductive substrate with the electricity feed means is 20&OHgr; or less.

Electrodeposition method

This invention provides an electrodeposition apparatus, comprising at least one electrodeposition vessel for supplying a current between a substrate and an electrode in an electrodeposition bath to form an oxide film or the substrate and a rinsing means for rinsing the substrate after passing the electrodeposition tank with water, wherein a humidifying means for preventing drying of at least the film forming surface of the substrate is provided along the transporting path of the substrate at least at the exit side of the electrodeposition vessel and an oxide film forming method. Thus a uniform oxide film without unevenness can be formed on the substrate.

Electrodeposition method of forming an oxide film

Provided are a substrate with a zinc oxide layer, in which at least a zinc oxide layer is provided on a support substrate, wherein the zinc oxide layer comprises a zinc oxide layer having the c axis perpendicular to the support substrate and a zinc oxide layer having the c axis slantindicular to the support substrate in the order from the side of the support substrate; and a photovoltaic device in which a semiconductor layer is formed on the substrate with the zinc oxide layer. Thus provided is the inexpensive photovoltaic device with excellent reflective performance and optical confinement effect and with high photoelectric conversion efficiency.

Growing community of inventors

Nara, Japan

Yuichi Sonoda