Patent ID: 8207010

Claim:
A method for manufacturing a photoelectric conversion device, comprising the steps of: providing a first susceptor, a first gas supply nozzle, and a second gas supply nozzle in a first treatment chamber, wherein the first gas supply nozzle is located closer to the first susceptor than the second gas supply nozzle is; providing a second susceptor, a third gas supply nozzle, and a fourth gas supply nozzle in a second treatment chamber wherein the third gas supply nozzle is located closer to the second susceptor than the fourth gas supply nozzle is; providing a first rotary pump connected to the first treatment chamber; providing a second rotary pump connected to the second treatment chamber; providing a gas purification circulator including a pressure controller and a separator, the gas purification circulator being connected to the first rotary pump; forming a first semi-amorphous semiconductor layer over a substrate by introducing a first gas and a second gas into the first treatment chamber in which the substrate is placed over the first susceptor and by introducing a microwave into the first treatment chamber through a slit provided for a first waveguide to generate plasma; transferring the substrate from the first treatment chamber to the second treatment chamber without exposing the substrate to an atmospheric air; and forming a second semi-amorphous semiconductor layer over the first semi-amorphous semiconductor layer by introducing a third gas and a fourth gas into the second treatment chamber in which the substrate is placed over the second susceptor, and by introducing a microwave into the second treatment chamber through a second slit provided for a second waveguide to generate plasma, whereby forming a photoelectric conversion layer including the first semi-amorphous semiconductor layer and the second semi-amorphous semiconductor layer, wherein the photoelectric conversion layer includes any one of a PI junction, an IN junction, and a PN junction, wherein the first gas is made to flow from the first gas supply nozzle, the second gas is made to flow from the second gas supply nozzle, the third gas is made to flow from the third gas supply nozzle, and the fourth gas is made to flow from the fourth gas supply nozzle, wherein each of the first gas and the third gas comprises a semiconductor material gas and each of the second gas and the fourth gas comprises a helium, and wherein the gas purification circulator is configured to collect and purify the helium exhausted from the first rotary pump so as to reuse the helium.