Patent ID: 8362355

Claim:
A sealed monolithic photo-electrochemical system comprising: an electrically insulating substrate, an electrically conducting pattern including carrier areas arranged to support working electrodes, contact portions connected to counter electrodes, a first set of contact paths connecting said carrier areas with a first terminal, and a second set of contact paths connecting said contact portions with a second terminal, an array of porous structures arranged on said substrate, where each porous structure includes a working electrode, an insulating layer and a counter electrode, which are arranged in a monolithic configuration, and an electrolyte at least partially filled in said porous structures to form a plurality of electrochemical cells and an encapsulation covering said array of porous structures, wherein said plurality of electrochemical cells includes a row of elongated cells separated by gaps, and wherein said first and second sets of contact paths include: a first base which extends along said row of elongated cells and a first set of extensions connected to said first base and includes a first extension extending alongside the first cell in said row of elongated cells, a last extension extending alongside the last cell in said row of elongated cells and a first set of intermediate extensions extending into every other gap between the cells starting with the second gap such that said first base and first set of extensions form comb shaped patterns, and a second base which extends along said row of elongated cells, and a second set of intermediate extensions connected to said second base and extending into every other gap between the cells starting with the first gap such that said second base and second set of extensions form comb shaped patterns, wherein each intermediate extension is connected to both adjacent cells, and where the first base and the first set of extensions form part of one of the first or second set of contact paths and the second base and the second set of extensions form part of the other set of contact paths, and wherein said first and second sets of contact paths connect said plurality of electrochemical cells in parallel.