Patent ID: 7763372

Claim:
A fuel cell device including a plurality of fuel cells formed in a conductive monocrystalline silicon layer, the device comprising: a succession of electrically isolated conductive silicon bodies closely separated by etched parallel trenches in the silicon layer to define etched side surfaces of the silicon bodies; each fuel cell comprising a pair of semicells including a semicell in the etched side surface of one of the silicon bodies in cooperation with an adjacent semicell in the etched side surface of a next silicon body of the succession, each semicell comprising a porous conductive silicon region extending into the silicon body from the etched side surface thereof, a non-passivatable metallic material at least partially coating the porous conductive silicon region, and a fluid feed duct, for at least one of fuel and oxygen, inside the silicon body and extending parallel to the etched side surface thereof, and in communication with the porous conductive silicon region; and an ion exchange material filling the trenches between the adjacent semicells and defining a solid electrolyte of the fuel cell.