Liquid junction photoelectrodes using amorphous silicon-based thin film semiconductor

摘要

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.