Method of producing semiconductor member and method of producing solar cell

A method of producing a semiconductor member, the method comprising the steps of:

• (a) forming a porous layer in a surface region of a first crystalline substrate;
• (b) growing a first thin-film semiconductor layer on a surface of the porous layer in vapor phase by decomposing a source gas;
• (c) immersing the first thin-film semiconductor layer into a melting solution in which elements for forming a second thin-film semiconductor are dissolved up to a saturated state or a supersaturated state under a reducing atmosphere to grow a second thin-film semiconductor layer of a conductive type different from that of the first thin-film semiconductor layer on a surface of the first thin-film semiconductor layer in liquid phase;
• (d) bonding a second substrate onto a surface of the second thin-film semiconductor layer or onto a surface of a layer further formed on the second thin-film semiconductor layer;
• (e) separating the first thin-film semiconductor layer from the first substrate by exerting a force on the porous layer to transfer the first thin-film semiconductor layer to the second substrate.