Patent ID: 7892693
Filing Date: 2011-02-22
Classification: H01M,Y02E

Abstract:
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.