Passivating window and capping layer for photoelectrochemical cells

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018051379-A1
Application number	US-201715677282-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Aug 15, 2017
Priority date	Aug 16, 2016
Publication date	Feb 22, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

An aspect of the present disclosure is a photoelectrochemical device that includes a first cell that includes a first semiconductor alloy, a capping layer that includes a second semiconductor alloy, and a passivating layer that includes a third semiconductor alloy, where the passivating layer is positioned between the first cell and the capping layer, and at least a portion of the capping layer is configured to be in direct contact with an electrolyte.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A photoelectrochemical device comprising:
a first cell comprising a first semiconductor alloy; a capping layer comprising a second semiconductor alloy; and a passivating layer comprising a third semiconductor alloy, wherein: the passivating layer is positioned between the first cell and the capping layer, and at least a portion of the capping layer is configured to be in direct contact with an electrolyte.

2 . The photoelectrochemical device of claim 1 , wherein the second semiconductor alloy comprises a first Group III-V alloy.

3 . The photoelectrochemical device of claim 2 , wherein the first Group III-V alloy comprises at least one of a binary alloy, a tertiary alloy, or a quaternary alloy.

4 . The photoelectrochemical device of claim 3 , wherein:
the first Group alloy comprises A x B y E (1-x-y) C or AC x D y F (1-x-y) , A is a first Group III element, B is a second Group III element, E is a third Group III element, C is a first Group V element, D is a second Group V element, F is a third Group V element, 0≦x≦1, and 0≦y≦1.

5 . The photoelectrochemical device of claim 4 , wherein the first Group alloy comprises at least one of BN, BP, BAs, AlN, AlP, AlAs, AlSb, GaN, GaP, GaAs, GaSb, InN, InP, InAs, InSb, AlInSb, GaAsN, GaAsP, GaAsSb, AlGaN, AlGaP, InGaN, InAsSb, InGaSb, GaInP, AlInP, GaSbP, AlGaInP, AlGaAsP, InGaAsP, InGaAsSb, InAsSbP, AlInAsP, AlGaAsN, InGaAsN, InAlAsN, or GaAsSbN.

6 . The photoelectrochemical device of claim 4 , wherein the first Group III-V alloy comprises Ga x In (1-x) P, Ga x In (1-x) As y P (1-y) , or GaSb x P (1-x) .

7 . The photoelectrochemical device of claim 6 , wherein the first Group III-V alloy comprises Ga 0.51 In 0.49 P, Ga 0.68 In 0.32 As 0.34 P 0.66 , or GaSb 0.31 P 0.69 .

8 . The photoelectrochemical device of claim 4 , wherein the first Group III-V alloy further comprises at least one of selenium, tellurium, sulfur, or silicon.

9 . The photoelectrochemical device of claim 4 , wherein the first Group III-V alloy is n-type.

10 . The photoelectrochemical device of claim 1 , wherein the third semiconductor alloy comprises a second Group III-V alloy.

11 . The photoelectrochemical device of claim 10 , wherein the second Group III-V alloy comprises at least one of a binary alloy, a tertiary alloy, or a quaternary alloy.

12 . The photoelectrochemical device of claim 11 , wherein:
the second Group III-V alloy comprises G u H v I (1-u-v) J or GJ u K v L (1-u-v) , G is a fourth Group III element, H is a fifth Group III element, I is a sixth Group III element, J is a fourth Group V element, K is a fifth Group V element, L is a sixth Group V element, 0≦u≦1, and 0≦v≦1.

13 . The photoelectrochemical device of claim 12 , wherein the second Group III-V alloy comprises at least one of BN, BP, BAs, AlN, AlP, AlAs, AlSb, GaN, GaP, GaAs, GaSb, InN, InP, InAs, InSb, AlInSb, GaAsN, GaAsP, GaAsSb, AlGaN, AlGaP, InGaN, InAsSb, InGaSb, GaInP, AlInP, GaSbP, AlGaInP, AlGaAsP, InGaAsP, InGaAsSb, InAsSbP, AlInAsP, AlGaAsN, InGaAsN, InAlAsN, or GaAsSbN.

14 . The photoelectrochemical device of claim 13 , wherein the second Group III-V alloy comprises Al u In (1-u) P.

15 . The photoelectrochemical device of claim 14 , wherein the second Group III-V alloy comprises Al 0.53 In 0.47 P.

16 . The photoelectrochemical device of claim 12 , wherein the second Group III-V alloy further comprises at least one of selenium, tellurium, sulfur, or silicon.

17 . The photoelectrochemical device of claim 12 , wherein the second Group III-V alloy is n-type.

18 . The photoelectrochemical device of claim 1 , wherein:
the first cell comprises an n-layer and a p-layer, and the n-layer is between the p-layer and the passivating layer.

19 . The photoelectrochemical device of claim 1 , wherein the first semiconductor alloy comprises Ga x In (1-x) P or Al x Ga (1-x) As and 0≦x≦1.

20 . The photoelectrochemical device of claim 19 , wherein the first semiconductor alloy comprises Ga 0.51 In 0.49 P or Al 0.23 Ga 0.77 As.

21 . A method for producing a photoelectrochemical device, the method comprising:
growing by an epitaxial method a first cell on a substrate; growing by an epitaxial method a second cell on the first cell; attaching the second cell to a handle; removing the substrate from the first cell, resulting in the exposing of a surface of the first cell; depositing a passivating layer on the surface; and depositing a capping layer on the passivating layer.

Assignees

• Alliance Sustainable Energy

Inventors

• DEUTSCH Todd Gregory
• Steiner Myles Aaron
• Friedman Daniel Joseph
• Young James Luke
• France Ryan Matthew
• Turner John A
• Doescher Henning

Classifications

• C25B11/0447

  Chemistry & Metallurgy · mapped topic

• C25B11/0415

  Chemistry & Metallurgy · mapped topic

• H01L31/1844

  Electricity · mapped topic

• C30B25/18

  characterised by the substrate · CPC title

• H01L31/1868

  Electricity · mapped topic