Patent ID: 7075052

Claim:
A photoelectric conversion device comprising: a substrate having a main surface; a first conductivity type first non-single crystalline semiconductor layer formed on said main surface of said substrate; a second conductivity type second non-single crystalline semiconductor layer formed on said main surface of said substrate; and a substantially intrinsic third non-single-crystalline semiconductor layer formed between said first non-single-crystalline semiconductor layer and said second non-single-crystalline semiconductor layer, wherein many of crystal grains contained in said third non-single-crystalline semiconductor layer have major axes substantially perpendicular to said main surface of said substrate on an interfacial portion between said third non-single crystalline semiconductor layer and at least either said first non-single-crystalline semiconductor layer or said second non-single-crystalline semiconductor layer, and many of crystal grains contained in either said first non-single-crystalline semiconductor layer or said second non-single-crystalline semiconductor layer have major axes substantially parallel to said main surface of said substrate on said interfacial portion.