Fuel cell planarly integrated on a monocrystalline silicon chip and process of fabrication
First Claim
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1. A planarly integrated fuel cell comprising:
- a monocrystalline silicon chip including an oxidized porous silicon region preliminarily rendered porous and permeable to fluids and is electrically non-conductive;
at least one pair of parallel channels comprising an anode feed channel and a cathode feed channel extending in the oxidized porous silicon region, said at least one pair of parallel channels defining a central oxidized porous silicon ridge therebetween;
a dielectric cap over said at least one pair of parallel channels and having inlet and outlet holes formed therethrough in correspondence to opposite ends of said at least one pair of parallel channels for separately circulating a fluid fuel in the anode feed channel and air or other oxygen containing mixture in the cathode feed channel;
a pair of parallel metal electrodes extending over said central oxidized porous silicon ridge and extending a length of said at least one pair of parallel channels;
cathodically deposited uninterrupted electrically conductive threads of a catalytic metal, stemming from a bottom surface of each of said metal electrodes and extending to a side face of said central oxidized porous silicon ridge defining a side wall of a respective channel extending alongside of the electrode;
ion permeable resin filling the pores in an innermost central portion of said central oxidized porous silicon ridge to impede fluid flow from one channel to the other, and partly filling the pores in proximity of the sides of said central oxidized porous silicon ridge defining the side walls of the respective channels, and forming uninterrupted ion permeable resin domains extending from the catalytic metal threads stemming from one metal electrode to the catalytic metal threads stemming from the other metal electrode; and
a connector for electrically connecting said pair of parallel metal electrodes to an external load circuit of the integrated fuel cell.
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Abstract
A fuel cell is entirely fabricated on a single monocrystalline silicon substrate, and substantially overcomes leak proofing and wafer bonding difficulties and criticalities while ensuring an intrinsic sturdiness of the planarly integrated functional structure of the fuel cell. The integrated fuel cell is formed in an oxidized porous silicon region on a monocrystalline silicon substrate that is pervious to fluid flow and is electrically nonconductive with the monocrystalline silicon substrate.
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Citations
21 Claims
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1. A planarly integrated fuel cell comprising:
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a monocrystalline silicon chip including an oxidized porous silicon region preliminarily rendered porous and permeable to fluids and is electrically non-conductive; at least one pair of parallel channels comprising an anode feed channel and a cathode feed channel extending in the oxidized porous silicon region, said at least one pair of parallel channels defining a central oxidized porous silicon ridge therebetween; a dielectric cap over said at least one pair of parallel channels and having inlet and outlet holes formed therethrough in correspondence to opposite ends of said at least one pair of parallel channels for separately circulating a fluid fuel in the anode feed channel and air or other oxygen containing mixture in the cathode feed channel; a pair of parallel metal electrodes extending over said central oxidized porous silicon ridge and extending a length of said at least one pair of parallel channels; cathodically deposited uninterrupted electrically conductive threads of a catalytic metal, stemming from a bottom surface of each of said metal electrodes and extending to a side face of said central oxidized porous silicon ridge defining a side wall of a respective channel extending alongside of the electrode; ion permeable resin filling the pores in an innermost central portion of said central oxidized porous silicon ridge to impede fluid flow from one channel to the other, and partly filling the pores in proximity of the sides of said central oxidized porous silicon ridge defining the side walls of the respective channels, and forming uninterrupted ion permeable resin domains extending from the catalytic metal threads stemming from one metal electrode to the catalytic metal threads stemming from the other metal electrode; and a connector for electrically connecting said pair of parallel metal electrodes to an external load circuit of the integrated fuel cell. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. An integrated fuel cell comprising:
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a monocrystalline silicon chip comprising an oxidized porous silicon region; a pair of parallel channels in said oxidized porous silicon region and comprising an anode feed channel and a cathode feed channel, said pair of parallel channels defining a central oxidized porous silicon ridge therebetween; a dielectric cap over said pair of parallel channels and having inlet and outlet holes formed therethrough in correspondence to opposite ends of said pair of parallel channels for separately circulating a fluid fuel in the anode feed channel and an oxygen containing mixture in the cathode feed channel; a pair of parallel electrodes extending over said central oxidized porous silicon ridge and extending a length of said pair of parallel channels; electrically conductive threads stemming from a bottom surface of each of said electrodes and extending to a side face of said central oxidized porous silicon ridge defining a side wall of a respective channel extending alongside the electrode; ion permeable resin filling the pores in an innermost central portion of said central oxidized porous silicon ridge to impede fluid flow from one channel to the other, and partly filling the pores in proximity of the sides of said central oxidized porous silicon ridge defining the side walls of the respective channels, and forming uninterrupted ion permeable resin domains extending from the electrically conductive threads stemming from one electrode to the electrically conductive threads stemming from the other electrode; and a connector for electrically connecting said pair of parallel electrodes to an external load circuit. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A process for fabricating a planarly integrated fuel cell comprising:
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forming an oxidized porous silicon region in a monocrystalline silicon chip, the oxidized porous silicon region being preliminarily rendered porous and permeable to fluids and being electrically non-conductive; forming at least one pair of parallel channels comprising an anode feed channel and a cathode feed channel extending in the oxidized porous silicon region, the at least one pair of parallel channels defining a central oxidized porous silicon ridge therebetween; forming a dielectric cap over the at least one pair of parallel channels and having inlet and outlet holes formed therethrough in correspondence to opposite ends of the at least one pair of parallel channels for separately circulating a fluid fuel in the anode feed channel and air or other oxygen containing mixture in the cathode feed channel; forming a pair of parallel metal electrodes extending over the central oxidized porous silicon ridge and extending a length of the at least one pair of parallel channels; cathodically depositing uninterrupted electrically conductive threads of a catalytic metal, stemming from a bottom surface of each of the metal electrodes and extending to a side face of the central oxidized porous silicon ridge defining a side wall of a respective channel extending alongside of the electrode; filling the pores with ion permeable resin in an innermost central portion of the central oxidized porous silicon ridge to impede fluid flow from one channel to the other, and partly filling the pores in proximity of the sides of the central oxidized porous silicon ridge defining the side walls of the respective channels, and forming uninterrupted ion permeable resin domains extending from the catalytic metal threads stemming from one metal electrode to the catalytic metal threads stemming from the other metal electrode; and forming a connector for electrically connecting the pair of parallel metal electrodes to an external load circuit of the integrated fuel cell. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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Specification