Devices and methods for photoelectrochemical water splitting

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016281247-A1
Application number	US-201615078206-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 23, 2016
Priority date	Mar 23, 2015
Publication date	Sep 29, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to photoelectrochemical devices and systems for capturing the energy of electromagnetic radiation and utilizing the captured energy for electrolysis to produce hydrogen gas and oxygen gas.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A photoelectrochemical device comprising:
a first electrode comprising, in order:
a first absorber layer comprising Al x Ga y In z As v P w ;
a second absorber layer comprising In t Ga u As; and
a contact layer comprising at least one reflective metal, wherein:
the first absorber layer comprises a p-type layer,
the second absorber layer comprises an n-type and a p-type layer, and
x is between 0.0 and 1.0, y is between 0.0 and 1.0, z is between 0.0 and 1.0, v is between 0.0 and 1.0, w is between 0.0 and 1.0, t is between 0.0 and 1.0, u is between 0.0 and 1.0, and x+y+z=v+w=t+u=1.0.

2 . The photoelectrochemical device of claim 1 , wherein the first absorber layer has a bandgap between about 1.6 eV and about 1.8 eV.

3 . The photoelectrochemical device of claim 1 , wherein the second absorber layer has a bandgap between about 0.9 eV to about 1.2 eV.

4 . The photoelectrochemical device of claim 1 , wherein x=w=0.0, y is between about 0.4 and about 1.0, and z is between about 0.4 and about 1.0.

5 . The photoelectrochemical device of claim 4 , wherein y is about 0.5.

6 . The photoelectrochemical device of claim 1 , wherein the p-type layer of the first absorber layer includes a first dopant comprising at least one of zinc, beryllium, magnesium, or carbon.

7 . The photoelectrochemical device of claim 1 , wherein the first absorber layer further comprises an n-type layer positioned on the p-type layer of the first absorber layer.

8 . The photoelectrochemical device of claim 7 , wherein the n-type layer of the first absorber layer comprises a second dopant comprising at least one of selenium, silicon, tellurium, sulfur, or germanium.

9 . The photoelectrochemical device of claim 1 , wherein the first absorber layer has a thickness between about 500 nm and about 3000 nm.

10 . The photoelectrochemical device of claim 1 , wherein t is between about 0.15 and about 0.35.

11 . The photoelectrochemical device of claim 10 , wherein t is about 0.15.

12 . The photoelectrochemical device of claim 1 , wherein the p-type layer of the second absorber layer includes a third dopant comprising at least one of zinc, beryllium, magnesium, or carbon.

13 . The photoelectrochemical device of claim 1 , wherein the n-type layer of the second absorber layer includes a fourth dopant comprising at least one of selenium, silicon, sulfur, or germanium.

14 . The photoelectrochemical device of claim 1 , wherein the second absorber layer has a thickness between about 1000 nm and about 3000 nm.

15 . The photoelectrochemical device of claim 1 , wherein the reflective metal comprises at least one of gold, silver, platinum, or copper.

16 . The photoelectrochemical device of claim 1 , further comprising a tunnel junction positioned between the first absorber layer and the second absorber layer.

17 . The photoelectrochemical device of claim 1 , further comprising a graded buffer layer positioned between the first absorber layer and the second absorber layer.

18 . The photoelectrochemical device of claim 17 , wherein a lowest bandgap layer of the graded buffer layer has a bandgap greater than about 0.9 eV.

19 . The photoelectrochemical device of claim 18 , wherein the lowest bandgap layer of the graded buffer layer has a bandgap greater than about 1.2 eV.

20 . The photoelectrochemical device of claim 1 , further comprising a catalyst layer positioned on the first absorber layer.

21 . The photoelectrochemical device of claim 7 , further comprising a catalyst layer positioned on the n-type layer of the first absorber layer.

22 . The photoelectrochemical device of claim 20 , wherein the catalyst layer comprises at least one of molybdenum sulfide, graphene, quantum dots, carbon nanotubes, a perovskite, nickel, a nickel oxide, NaTaO 3 :La, K 3 Ta 3 B 2 O 12 , a GaZnNO alloy, platinum, titanium dioxide, cobalt, bismuth, ruthenium, ruthenium dioxide, or an iridium oxide.

23 . The photoelectrochemical device of claim 1 , further comprising a second electrode, wherein the first electrode and the second electrode are electrically connected.

24 . The photoelectrochemical device of claim 23 , further comprising an electrolyte positioned between the first electrode and the second electrode.

25 . The photoelectrochemical device of claim 1 , wherein the first absorber layer may further comprise nitrogen.

26 . A system comprising:
a first electrode comprising, in order:
a first catalyst layer;
a first absorber layer comprising Al x Ga y In z As v P w ;
a second absorber layer comprising In t Ga u As; and
a first contact layer comprising at least one reflective metal,
wherein:
the first absorber layer comprises a p-type layer,
the second absorber layer comprises an n-type and a p-type layer, and
x is between 0.0 and 1.0, y is between 0.0 and 1.0, z is between 0.0 and 1.0, v is between 0.0 and 1.0, w is between 0.0 and 1.0, t is between 0.0 and 1.0, u is between 0.0 and 1.0, and x+y+z=v+w=t+u=1.0;
a second electrode comprising:
a second catalyst layer; and
a second contact layer;
an electrolyte in contact with the first catalyst and the second catalyst; a membrane positioned at a first side of the second electrode and between the first electrode and the second electrode; a barrier positioned at a second side of the second electrode; and a window physically connecting the membrane to the barrier, wherein: the first electrode and the second electrode are electrically connected by an electrical connection, and the second electrode, the barrier, and the window form an internal volume that contains the electrolyte and collects hydrogen gas.

Assignees

• Alliance Sustainable Energy

Inventors

• Friedman Daniel Joseph
• DEUTSCH Todd Gregory
• Turner John A
• DOSCHER Henning
• Young James Luke
• STEINER Myles
• France Ryan Matthew

Classifications

• H01L31/03046

  Electricity · mapped topic

• C25B9/08 Primary

  Chemistry & Metallurgy · mapped topic

• C25B9/19 Primary

  with diaphragms · CPC title

• C25B1/55 Primary

  Photoelectrolysis · CPC title

• Y02P20/133

  Renewable energy sources, e.g. sunlight · CPC title