This thesis presents fabrication and characterization of a small scale photoelectro-chemical (PEC) solar cell.
The cell consists of a p-type silicon cathode with an etched micro-cavity that houses the zinc chloride electrolyte solution, and the cavity is covered by a sheet of zinc acting as the anode. The cell operates using a semiconductor-electrolyte junction instead of the p-n junction of a conventional solid state solar cell. The silicon electrode is fabricated by controlled wet etching so that the bottom of the micro-cavity becomes a very thin membrane, which allows photons to penetrate and reach the semiconductorelectrolyte interface for the generation of excess electron-hole pairs. The separation of the excess charge carriers by the junction built-in electric field results in a photopotential across the semiconductor-electrolyte junction.
Silicon electrodes with different membrane sizes were successfully fabricated in the Nano-Electro-Mechanical Systems (NEMS) lab at the University of Denver. The electrical characteristics of the PEC solar cells were obtained and will be discussed in this thesis.
","abstract_html":"<p>This thesis presents fabrication and characterization of a small scale photoelectro-chemical (PEC) solar cell.</p> <p>The cell consists of a p-type silicon cathode with an etched micro-cavity that houses the zinc chloride electrolyte solution, and the cavity is covered by a sheet of zinc acting as the anode. The cell operates using a semiconductor-electrolyte junction instead of the p-n junction of a conventional solid state solar cell. The silicon electrode is fabricated by controlled wet etching so that the bottom of the micro-cavity becomes a very thin membrane, which allows photons to penetrate and reach the semiconductorelectrolyte interface for the generation of excess electron-hole pairs. The separation of the excess charge carriers by the junction built-in electric field results in a photopotential across the semiconductor-electrolyte junction.</p> <p>Silicon electrodes with different membrane sizes were successfully fabricated in the Nano-Electro-Mechanical Systems (NEMS) lab at the University of Denver. The electrical characteristics of the PEC solar cells were obtained and will be discussed in this thesis.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Li, Xin"],"institution":null,"degree_name":"M.S.","degree_level":"Masters Thesis","degree_discipline":null,"degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Mohammad A. Matin, Ph.D.","Siavash Pourkamali Anaraki","Yun Bo Yi","Vijaya Narapareddy"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2014,"date_issued":"2014-08-01T07:00:00Z","date_published":"2014-08-01T07:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:02:53Z","subjects":["Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems","Microfabrication","Nano-Electro-Mechanical Systems","Photoelectrochemical","Solar cell","Wet etching","Electrical and Computer Engineering","Engineering"],"languages":["en"],"rights":["Copyright is held by the author. User is responsible for all copyright compliance.
"],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://digitalcommons.du.edu/etd/375","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Mohammad A. Matin, Ph.D.","Siavash Pourkamali Anaraki","Yun Bo Yi","Vijaya Narapareddy"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Li, Xin"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2001-01-01T08:00:00Z"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Masters Thesis"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["M.S."]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems","Microfabrication","Nano-Electro-Mechanical Systems","Photoelectrochemical","Solar cell","Wet etching","Electrical and Computer Engineering","Engineering"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:language","label":"Dc Language","values":["en"]},{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["Copyright is held by the author. User is responsible for all copyright compliance.
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The cell consists of a p-type silicon cathode with an etched micro-cavity that houses the zinc chloride electrolyte solution, and the cavity is covered by a sheet of zinc acting as the anode. The cell operates using a semiconductor-electrolyte junction instead of the p-n junction of a conventional solid state solar cell. The silicon electrode is fabricated by controlled wet etching so that the bottom of the micro-cavity becomes a very thin membrane, which allows photons to penetrate and reach the semiconductorelectrolyte interface for the generation of excess electron-hole pairs. The separation of the excess charge carriers by the junction built-in electric field results in a photopotential across the semiconductor-electrolyte junction.
Silicon electrodes with different membrane sizes were successfully fabricated in the Nano-Electro-Mechanical Systems (NEMS) lab at the University of Denver. The electrical characteristics of the PEC solar cells were obtained and will be discussed in this thesis.
"]},{"key":"dc:format","label":"Dc Format","values":["application/pdf"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Fabrication and Characterization of Small Scale Photo-Electro-Chemical Solar Cells"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Mohammad A. Matin, Ph.D.","Siavash Pourkamali Anaraki","Yun Bo Yi","Vijaya Narapareddy"],"dc:creator":["Li, Xin"],"dc:date.available":["2001-01-01T08:00:00Z"],"dc:description.abstract":["This thesis presents fabrication and characterization of a small scale photoelectro-chemical (PEC) solar cell.
The cell consists of a p-type silicon cathode with an etched micro-cavity that houses the zinc chloride electrolyte solution, and the cavity is covered by a sheet of zinc acting as the anode. The cell operates using a semiconductor-electrolyte junction instead of the p-n junction of a conventional solid state solar cell. The silicon electrode is fabricated by controlled wet etching so that the bottom of the micro-cavity becomes a very thin membrane, which allows photons to penetrate and reach the semiconductorelectrolyte interface for the generation of excess electron-hole pairs. The separation of the excess charge carriers by the junction built-in electric field results in a photopotential across the semiconductor-electrolyte junction.
Silicon electrodes with different membrane sizes were successfully fabricated in the Nano-Electro-Mechanical Systems (NEMS) lab at the University of Denver. The electrical characteristics of the PEC solar cells were obtained and will be discussed in this thesis.
"],"dc:format":["application/pdf"],"dc:identifier":["https://digitalcommons.du.edu/etd/375"],"dc:language":["en"],"dc:rights":["Copyright is held by the author. User is responsible for all copyright compliance.
"],"dc:subject":["Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems","Microfabrication","Nano-Electro-Mechanical Systems","Photoelectrochemical","Solar cell","Wet etching","Electrical and Computer Engineering","Engineering"],"dc:title":["Fabrication and Characterization of Small Scale Photo-Electro-Chemical Solar Cells"],"thesis:degree_level":["Masters Thesis"],"thesis:degree_name":["M.S."]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:02:53Z"}