FUEL CELL FORMED IN A SINGLE LAYER OF MONOCRYSTALLINE SILICON AND FABRICATION PROCESS
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Abstract
Fuel cells are formed in a single layer of conductive monocrystalline silicon including a succession of electrically isolated conductive silicon bodies separated by narrow parallel trenches etched through the whole thickness of the silicon layer. Semicells in a back-to-back configuration are formed over etch surfaces of the separation trenches. Each semicell formed on the etch surface of one of the silicon bodies forming an elementary cell in cooperation with an opposite semicell formed on the etch surface of the next silicon body of the succession, is separated by an ion exchange membrane resin filling the separation trench between the opposite semicells forming a solid electrolyte of the elementary cell. Each semicell includes a porous conductive silicon region permeable to fluids, extending for a certain depth from the etch surface of the silicon body, at least partially coated by a non passivable metallic material. Each of the porous and fluid permeable regions communicates with a feed duct of a fuel fluid or of oxygen gas that extends parallel to the etch surface inside the conductive silicon body.
16 Citations
32 Claims
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1-14. -14. (canceled)
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15. A fuel cell device including a plurality of fuel cells in a conductive silicon layer including electrically conductive silicon bodies separated by adjacent trenches in the silicon layer to define side surfaces of the silicon bodies, each fuel cell comprising:
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a pair of semicells including a semicell in the side surface of one of the silicon bodies in cooperation with an adjacent semicell in the side surface of an adjacent silicon body, each semicell comprising a porous conductive silicon region extending into the silicon body from the side surface thereof, a metallic material at least partially coating the porous conductive silicon region, and a fluid feed duct inside the silicon body and in communication with the porous conductive silicon region; and an electrolyte in the trench between adjacent semicells. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18)
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19. A method of fabricating an array of fuel cells, the method comprising:
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providing a conductive silicon layer electrically isolated from a substrate; depositing a mask on the surface of the silicon layer; defining parallel pairs of slit apertures in the mask; removing silicon through the apertures to form parallel pairs of channels; removing the mask from the surface of the silicon layer; forming a subsequent conductive silicon layer over the surface of the silicon layer to close top openings of the parallel pairs of channels, to form parallel pairs of buried ducts; depositing a metal layer over the subsequent conductive silicon layer; defining parallel apertures through the metal layer parallel to and between the parallel pairs of buried ducts formed in the silicon; forming trenches by removing silicon through the parallel apertures of the metal layer to define an array of electrically isolated parallel conductive silicon bodies having side surface along the trenches and including the buried ducts therein; forming porous silicon regions in the side surfaces of the silicon bodies extending to a respective buried duct; depositing a non-passivatable metal on the porous conductive silicon regions; and filling the trenches between adjacent silicon bodies with an ion exchange material. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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29. A method of making a fuel cell device including a plurality of fuel cells formed in a conductive silicon layer including electrically conductive silicon bodies separated by adjacent trenches in the silicon layer to define side surfaces of the silicon bodies, the method including each fuel cell being formed by at least:
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forming a pair of semicells including a semicell in the side surface of one of the silicon bodies in cooperation with an adjacent semicell in the side surface of an adjacent silicon body, each semicell comprising a porous conductive silicon region extending into the silicon body from the side surface thereof, a metallic material at least partially coating the porous conductive silicon region, and a fluid feed duct inside the silicon body and extending parallel to the side surface thereof, and in communication with the porous conductive silicon region; and filling the trench between adjacent semicells with an electrolyte. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31, 32)
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Specification