Patent ID: 8030223

Claim:
A method of fabricating a solar cell which comprises cell, the method comprising: placing in a reaction vessel: a heat catalyst, and a semiconductor solar cell substrate having a light receiving surface formed on a first major surface of the semiconductor solar cell substrate; forming a light-receiving-surface-side insulating film to cover the light receiving surface by a catalytic CVD process, the catalytic CVD process comprising: supplying and contacting a film-forming gas with the heat catalyst to form by a chemical reaction an inorganic insulating material, the film-forming gas comprising: a silicon source gas, and a nitrogen source gas comprising an anionic source gas producing an anionic component capable of binding with silicon in an inorganic material to be obtained, at least one of the silicon source gas and the anion source gas having hydrogen atoms in a molecule; regulating a ratio of mixing the silicon source gas and the nitrogen source gas, so as to obtain silicon nitride having an Si/N atomic ratio of 0.80 to 1.80, both ends inclusive; and depositing the inorganic insulating material on the light receiving surface of the semiconductor solar cell substrate; wherein: the solar cell is configured to generate photovoltaic power when light is irradiated on the light receiving surface; and the light-receiving-surface-side insulating film is a low-hydrogen-content silicon nitride inorganic insulating film having: a cationic component comprising at least 50% silicon; and a hydrogen content of less than 10 at %.