Water splitting device protection
AssigneeThe Regents of the University of Michigan
InventorsZetian Mi, Srinivas Vanka, Baowen Zhou
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Abstract
A device includes a substrate having a surface, an array of conductive projections supported by the substrate and extending outward from the surface of the substrate, a plurality of catalyst nanoparticles disposed over the array of conductive projections, and an oxide layer covering the plurality of catalyst nanoparticles and the array of conductive projections. The oxide layer has a thickness on the order of a size of each catalyst nanoparticle of the plurality of catalyst nanoparticles.
Claims27
A device comprising:
- a substrate having a surface;
- an array of conductive projections supported by the substrate and extending outward from the surface of the substrate;
- a plurality of catalyst nanoparticles disposed over the array of conductive projections;
- and
- an oxide layer covering the plurality of catalyst nanoparticles and the array of conductive projections;
- wherein the oxide layer has a thickness on the order of a size of each catalyst nanoparticle of the plurality of catalyst nanoparticles.
A method of fabricating a device, the method comprising:
- providing a substrate having a surface;
- growing an array of nanowires on the surface of the substrate such that each nanowire of the array of nanowires extends outward from the surface of the substrate, each nanowire of the array of nanowires having a semiconductor composition;
- depositing a plurality of catalyst nanoparticles across the array of nanowires;
- and
- covering the plurality of catalyst nanoparticles and the array of nanowires with an oxide layer;
- wherein the oxide layer has a thickness on the order of a size of each catalyst nanoparticle of the plurality of catalyst nanoparticles.
A device comprising:
- a substrate comprising a plurality of semiconductor layers and a surface, the plurality of semiconductor layers being doped to establish a junction for charge carriers photogenerated in the substrate;
- and
- an array of nanostructures supported by the substrate and extending outward from the surface of the substrate, each nanostructure of the array of nanostructures comprising a plurality of semiconductor segments, the plurality of semiconductor segments comprising:
- a first segment having a semiconductor composition configured for photogeneration of charge carriers;
- and
- second and third segments configured to establish a tunnel junction;
- wherein a surface of the plurality of semiconductor segments comprises nitrogen.
A method of fabricating a device, the method comprising:
- forming a structure on a semiconductor substrate of the device, the structure having a surface configured to facilitate a reaction;
- and
- forming a layer on the surface, the layer comprising nitrogen.
A device comprising:
- a semiconductor structure having a surface;
- a catalyst arrangement disposed on the surface;
- and
- a conformal protection layer covering the catalyst arrangement;
- wherein the conformal protection layer has a thickness that allows charge carrier transfer to occur at the catalyst arrangement.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.