Patent Description:
Capacitors have been generally used as a structure in which an insulation layer is sandwiched between electrodes from both sides.

Moreover, there has also been proposed an electricity storage device having a structure in which an n type semiconductor layer, a hydrous porous insulation layer, and a p type semiconductor layer are layered one after another, and electrodes are formed on upper and lower sides thereof. Patent Literature <NUM>: <CIT>
<CIT> relates to a method for manufacturing a secondary battery which includes a charging layer that captures electrons by forming energy levels in a band gap by causing a photoexcited structural change in an n-type metal oxide semiconductor coated with an insulating material. <CIT> relates to a method for producing quantum batteries from materials which consist of chemically highly dipolar crystals in the form of nanometer-sized grains or layers that are embedded in electrically insulating matrix materials or intermediate layers, and are applied to compound foils or fixed flat bases.

The embodiments provide an electricity storage device having an increased electricity storage capacity and improved reliability that can be charged without degradation even when a charging voltage is increased, and a method for manufacturing a solid electrolyte layer.

The problem is solved by an electricity storage device according to claim <NUM>. A method for manufacturing an electricity storage device according to claim <NUM> is claimed in claim <NUM>.

According to the embodiments, there can be provided the electricity storage device having the increased electricity storage capacity and improved reliability that can be charged without degradation even when the charging voltage is increased, and the method for manufacturing the solid electrolyte layer.

According to the embodiments, there can be provided the highly reliable secondary battery capable of improving the energy density and increasing the battery characteristics (electricity accumulation capacity).

Next, the embodiments will be described with reference to drawings. In the description of the following drawings, the identical or similar reference sign is attached to the identical or similar part. However, it should be noted that the drawings are schematic and therefore the relation between thickness and the plane size and the ratio of the thickness differs from an actual thing. Therefore, detailed thickness and size should be determined in consideration of the following explanation. Of course, the part from which the relation and ratio of a mutual size differ also in mutually drawings is included.

Moreover, the embodiments shown hereinafter exemplify the apparatus and method for materializing the technical idea; and the embodiments do not specify the material, shape, structure, placement, etc. of each component part as the following. The embodiments may be changed without departing from the scope of claims.

In explanation of following embodiments, a first conductivity type means an n type and a second conductivity type means a p type opposite to the first conductivity type, for example.

<FIG> shows a schematic cross-sectional structure showing an electricity storage device 30A according to the comparative example <NUM>, and <FIG> schematically shows charging and discharging characteristics thereof.

As shown in <FIG>, the electricity storage device 30A according to the comparative example <NUM> includes, between the first electrode (E1) <NUM> and the second electrode (E2) <NUM>, a first oxide semiconductor layer <NUM>, an insulator layer 15N disposed on the first oxide semiconductor layer <NUM>, and a second oxide semiconductor layer <NUM> disposed on the insulator layer 15N.

The insulator layer 15N can be formed by including SiNy, for example.

The second oxide semiconductor layer <NUM> can be formed by including a nickel oxide (NiO) which is a p type oxide semiconductor.

As shown in <FIG>, for example, in the charging and discharging characteristics of the electricity storage device according to the comparative example <NUM>, with respect to voltages V (V<NUM> to V<NUM>) at the time of charging, the voltage V<NUM> is changed to 0V at time t<NUM> after time t<NUM>, the voltage V<NUM> is changed to 0V at time t<NUM>, the voltage V<NUM> is changed to 0V at time t<NUM>, the voltage V<NUM> is changed to 0V at time t<NUM>, and the voltage V<NUM> is changed to 0V at time t<NUM>; and then the respective voltages are shifted to a discharged state. More specifically, the charging and discharging characteristics shown in <FIG> correspond to the charging and discharging characteristics of the capacitor. The discharging characteristics of the electricity storage device according to the comparative example <NUM> indicate linear characteristics, as shown in <FIG>.

According to the electricity storage device according to the comparative example <NUM>, the capacitor is merely formed if only providing the insulator layer 15N and therefore an amount of electricity storage is also small.

As shown in <FIG>, the electricity storage device 30A according to the comparative example <NUM> includes, between the first electrode (E1) <NUM> and the second electrode (E2) <NUM>, a first oxide semiconductor layer <NUM>, a solid electrolyte layer <NUM> which is disposed on the first oxide semiconductor layer <NUM> and has a solid electrolyte enabling proton movement, and a second oxide semiconductor layer <NUM> disposed on the solid electrolyte layer <NUM>.

The solid electrolyte layer <NUM> can be formed by including a silicon oxide (SiOx), for example. Other configurations thereof are the same as those of the comparative example <NUM>.

As shown in <FIG>, for example, in the charging and discharging characteristics of the electricity storage device according to the comparative example <NUM>, with respect to voltages V (V<NUM> to V<NUM>) at the time of charging, the voltage V<NUM> is changed to 0V at time t<NUM> after time t<NUM>, the voltage V<NUM> is changed to 0V at time t<NUM>, and the voltage V<NUM> is changed to 0V at time t<NUM>; and then the respective voltages are shifted to a discharged state. The discharging characteristics of the electricity storage device according to the comparative example <NUM> indicate decreasing characteristics, as shown in <FIG>.

According to the charging and discharging characteristics of the electricity storage device according to the comparative example <NUM>, an amount of electricity storage larger than the electricity storage device according to the comparative example <NUM> is obtained even when charging for a long period in a constant current.

The electricity storage device 30A according to the comparative example <NUM> has small amount of electricity storage since it indicates the capacitor characteristics. However, since the electricity storage device 30A according to the comparative example <NUM> has a structure in which the solid electrolyte layer <NUM> contacts the second oxide semiconductor layer <NUM>, as compared with the electricity storage device 30A according to the comparative example <NUM>, it becomes easy to move protons toward the first oxide semiconductor layer <NUM> from the second oxide semiconductor layer <NUM> in a voltage applied state in which the second electrode (E2) <NUM> has high potential with respect to the first electrode (E1) <NUM>. Accordingly, the electricity storage device 30A according to the comparative example <NUM> can store electricity more than the electricity storage device 30A of the comparative example <NUM>.

Since the electricity storage device 30A according to the comparative example <NUM> has a structure in which the insulator layer 15N is in contact with the second oxide semiconductor layer <NUM>, it is considered that the proton movement from the second oxide semiconductor layer <NUM> is interfered by the insulator layer 15N, and therefore movement toward the first oxide semiconductor layer <NUM> becomes difficult.

However, as shown in <FIG>, in the electricity storage device 30A according to the comparative example <NUM>, since it becomes impossible for the solid electrolyte layer <NUM> to resist the voltage when the voltage V at the time of charging becomes equal to or greater than V<NUM> (e.g., approximately <NUM>. 0V) also in a leak test, the amount of electricity storage is remarkably reduced.

<FIG> shows a schematic cross-sectional structure of an electricity storage device <NUM> according to the embodiments, and <FIG> schematically shows charging and discharging characteristics thereof.

As shown in <FIG>, the electricity storage device <NUM> according to the embodiments includes, between the first electrode (E1) <NUM> and the second electrode (E2) <NUM>, a first oxide semiconductor layer <NUM>, a solid electrolyte layer <NUM> which is disposed on the first oxide semiconductor layer <NUM> and has a solid electrolyte enabling proton movement, and a second conductivity-type second oxide semiconductor layer <NUM> disposed on the solid electrolyte layer <NUM>.

In the embodiments, the first conductivity-type first oxide semiconductor <NUM> means an oxide semiconductor layer composed by including a first conductivity-type first oxide semiconductor. The second conductivity-type second oxide semiconductor layer <NUM> means an oxide semiconductor layer composed by including a second conductivity-type second oxide semiconductor. The same applies hereafter.

Moreover, an insulator layer 18N including an insulating material may be disposed between the solid electrolyte layer <NUM> and the first oxide semiconductor layer <NUM>.

Moreover, an insulating material may further be contained in the solid electrolyte layer <NUM>. In the embodiments, a solid electrolyte composed of SiO and an insulating material composed of the SiN, for example, may be contained in the solid electrolyte layer <NUM>.

Moreover, more solid electrolyte than the insulating material may exist at the second oxide semiconductor layer <NUM> side of the solid electrolyte layer <NUM>. More specifically, more solid electrolyte composed of SiO than the insulating material composed of SiN may exist at the second oxide semiconductor layer <NUM> side of the solid electrolyte layer <NUM>, for example.

Since the insulator layer 18N is in contact with the solid electrolyte layer <NUM> in the electricity storage device <NUM> according to the embodiments, as compared with the electricity storage device 30A according to the comparative example <NUM>, the breakdown voltage is increased.

The solid electrolyte layer <NUM> can be formed by including SiOx, for example. The insulator layer 18N includes plasma-silicon nitride (P-SiNy) (second insulating material) which has a non-hydrous property (no water content) and is not porous, for example. The insulator layer 18N includes a layer with high film density, and has a property that it is hard to contain water as compared with SiOx.

A thickness of the SiOx is approximately <NUM> to approximately <NUM>, for example.

The insulator layer 18N can be formed by including SiNy, for example. In the embodiments, when the plasma-silicon nitride (P-SiNy) is formed as the SiNy, a thickness thereof is equal to or less than approximately <NUM>, for example. The thickness thereof is more preferably approximately <NUM> to approximately <NUM>, for example.

The first electrode <NUM> can be formed of a stacked layer of W and Ti or chromium (Cr), and the second electrode <NUM> can be formed of Al, for example. The first electrode <NUM> is disposed on a surface which is not opposite to the insulator layer 18N of the first oxide semiconductor layer <NUM>. Moreover, the second electrode <NUM> is disposed on a surface which is not opposite to the solid electrolyte layer <NUM> of the second oxide semiconductor layer <NUM>.

The first oxide semiconductor layer <NUM> can be formed by including a titanium oxide (TiO<NUM>) which is an n type oxide semiconductor, for example.

The second oxide semiconductor layer <NUM> can be formed by including a nickel oxide (NiO) which is a p type oxide semiconductor. A thickness of the nickel oxide (Ni0) is approximately <NUM>, for example.

As shown in <FIG>, in the charging and discharging characteristics of the electricity storage device according to the embodiments, with respect to voltages V (V<NUM> to V<NUM>) at the time of charging, the voltage V<NUM> is changed to 0V at time t<NUM> after time t<NUM>, and then the voltage V<NUM> is shifted to a discharged state.

In the case of the electricity storage device <NUM> according to the embodiments, as shown in <FIG>, for example, reduction of the amount of electricity storage due to degradation of the solid electrolyte layer <NUM> is observed only after the voltage V at the time of charging becomes equal to or greater than V<NUM> (e.g., approximately <NUM>. In the case of the electricity storage device <NUM> according to the embodiments, reduction corresponding to the reduction observed in the case of the single layer silicon oxide (SiOx) in the electricity storage device 30A according to the comparative example <NUM> is observed at 5V.

As shown in <FIG>, the discharging characteristics of the electricity storage device <NUM> according to the embodiments show substantially flat characteristics to the voltages V (V<NUM> to V<NUM>) at the time of charging, and show the characteristics that the discharging time decreases only after the voltage V at the time of charging becomes equal to or greater than V<NUM> (e.g., approximately <NUM>. 0V) (In the comparative example <NUM>, the discharging time decreases also when the voltage V at the time of charging is 3V).

According to the electricity storage device <NUM> according to the embodiments, a larger amount of electricity storage than the electricity storage device according to the comparative example <NUM> or <NUM> can be confirmed, also in the case of charging for a long period at the constant current.

According to the electricity storage device <NUM> according to the embodiments, also in the double layered structure of SiNy / SiOx into which the insulator layer 18N is inserted, the increased amount of electricity storage more than the capacitor, and the breakdown voltage at the time of charging can also be improved. A larger amount of the electricity storage than the capacitor also in the charging for a long period at the constant current is confirmed. This is a result of reducing degradation of SiOx due to the voltage by using the double layered structure.

Moreover, since the breakdown voltage of the film of SiNy is high, the breakdown voltage is improved by using the double layered structure of SiNy / SiOx into which the insulator layer 18N inserted, and the breakdown voltage of whole of the electricity storage device <NUM> can be improved.

Moreover, SiOx can be formed from silicone oil.

Moreover, SiOx may be formed from a metal containing silicone.

The solid electrolyte layer <NUM> may be manufactured by a process including: coating diluted silicone oil on a first oxide semiconductor layer <NUM>; firing the coated silicone oil; and irradiating the fired silicone oil with ultraviolet rays.

Moreover, a manufacturing method of the above-mentioned solid electrolyte layer <NUM> may include: coating diluted silicone oil; firing the coated silicone oil; and irradiating the fired silicone oil with ultraviolet rays.

According to the embodiments, there can be provided the electricity storage device having the increased electricity storage capacity and improved reliability that can be charged without degradation even when the charging voltage is increased.

As explained above, the embodiments have been described, as a disclosure including associated description and drawings to be construed as illustrative, not restrictive. This disclosure makes clear a variety of alternative embodiments, working examples, and operational techniques for those skilled in the art.

Such being the case, the embodiments cover a variety of embodiments, whether described or not.

Claim 1:
An electricity storage device (<NUM>) comprising:
a first conductivity-type first oxide semiconductor (<NUM>);
an insulator layer (18N) on the first oxide semiconductor layer (<NUM>);
a solid electrolyte layer (<NUM>) disposed on the insulator layer (18N), the solid electrolyte layer (<NUM>) including a solid electrolyte enabling proton movement;
a second conductivity-type second oxide semiconductor layer (<NUM>) disposed on the solid electrolyte layer (<NUM>);
a first electrode (<NUM>) disposed on a surface which is not opposite to the insulator layer (18N) of the first oxide semiconductor layer (<NUM>); and
a second electrode (<NUM>) disposed on a surface which is not opposite to the solid electrolyte layer (<NUM>) of the second oxide semiconductor layer (<NUM>).