Liquid junction photoelectrodes using amorphous silicon-based thin film semiconductor
First Claim
1. A photoelectrochemical cell for the conversion of sunlight into electrical energy for the production of hydrogen gas comprising:
- a cell having an interior space therein, said space divided by a membrane positioned in said space to form an anode compartment and a cathode compartment within said cell;
an electrolyte without an added redox couple in said anode compartment and in said cathode compartment;
a photocathode positioned in said cathode compartment with at least a portion in contact with said electrolyte;
an electrode positioned in said anode compartment with at least a portion in contact with said electrolyte;
said photocathode being a photoelectrode and including a substrate having a deposition surface, an electrically conductive lead, and a thin film amorphous silicon semiconductor alloy body deposited on the substrate having at least a first and a second layer, the first layer being adjacent the substrate being p+ type and including a p type dopant at a concentration of about 1023 atoms/cm3 and adapted to be coupled to the electrically conductive lead, said semiconductor alloy body having enhanced resistance to photocorrosion while operating in the absence of an added redox coupled in said electrolyte; and
means for impinging photons upon said photoelectrode wherein sunlight will be converted into energy usable as electricity or a fuel.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An amorphous silicon semiconductor alloy having multiple layers is used to form a photoelectrode (either a photoanode or a photocathode) for use in a photoelectrochemical cell for the photoelectrolysis of water to produce hydrogen or the conversion of solar energy into electrical energy. Each layer of the semiconductor alloy has a different dopant concentration ranging from no dopant to a heavy dopant concentration. The photoelectrochemical cell can utilize a photocathode and a conventional metal anode, a photoanode or both a photocathode and a photoanode according to the present invention. The semiconductor alloy of the photoelectrode is a-Si:F:H or a-Si:Hx deposited on a reflective layer of aluminum or molybdenum which is deposited on a substrate of glass or stainless steel. A tunnelable oxide layer can be deposited or intrinsically formed to cover and protect the top surface of the semiconductor alloy body. The photoanode is of an n-type configuration while the photocathodes can be either a p-type or a P-I-N type configuration.
42 Citations
16 Claims
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1. A photoelectrochemical cell for the conversion of sunlight into electrical energy for the production of hydrogen gas comprising:
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a cell having an interior space therein, said space divided by a membrane positioned in said space to form an anode compartment and a cathode compartment within said cell; an electrolyte without an added redox couple in said anode compartment and in said cathode compartment; a photocathode positioned in said cathode compartment with at least a portion in contact with said electrolyte; an electrode positioned in said anode compartment with at least a portion in contact with said electrolyte; said photocathode being a photoelectrode and including a substrate having a deposition surface, an electrically conductive lead, and a thin film amorphous silicon semiconductor alloy body deposited on the substrate having at least a first and a second layer, the first layer being adjacent the substrate being p+ type and including a p type dopant at a concentration of about 1023 atoms/cm3 and adapted to be coupled to the electrically conductive lead, said semiconductor alloy body having enhanced resistance to photocorrosion while operating in the absence of an added redox coupled in said electrolyte; and means for impinging photons upon said photoelectrode wherein sunlight will be converted into energy usable as electricity or a fuel. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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Specification