Method of producing a semiconductor device using a wire mask having a

Abstract

A semiconductor device producing method wherein a patterned transparent electrode, a patterned amorphous silicon semiconductor layer and a patterned backside electrode are formed on a substrate sequentially in this order, and the patterning of at least one of the amorphous silicon semiconductor layer and the backside electrode is carried out in a step of forming at least one of the amorphous silicon semiconductor layer and the backside electrode with a wire mask being brought into substantially close contact with a surface subjected to film forming and a step of removing a thin film formed at a region between the wire mask and the surface subjected to film forming in the forming step; and a film forming apparatus used in the producing method comprising a holder which holds a substrate having a surface subjected to film forming, a mechanism for fixing and positioning the substrate on the holder and a plurality of wires which are disposed on the film forming surface side of the substrate and are to be brought into substantially close contact with the film forming surface. The method and the apparatus enable the film forming operation and the patterning operation to be carried out simultaneously without lowering the characteristics of a solar cell.