Observation of a Long-Life Photoelectrochemical Conversion with n-Type Porous-Si Photoelectrodes

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Abstract
Application of an n-type porous-Si layer (PSL) as a working electrode of a photoelectrochemical cell was investigated. The introduction of the porous structure produced a drastic improvement in the life of n-Si under photoanodic operation. A linear relationship between the total output charge and the PSL thickness was found. At a PSL thickness of 20 µm, the photoanode remained alive until several C/cm2 charges were passed; this was three orders of magnitude more than was obtained from naked n-Si photoanodes. The H2 evolution rate from Pt counterelectrode was then about 100 µmol/10 h. The prolonged operation is closely related to an enhanced active area.