Electrolyte Thickness Dependence upon Ge-Sensitized Thermal Cells

The semiconductor-sensitized thermal cell (STC) is an attractive technology that used low-temperature heat (<200 °C). STC generates electricity by the redox reactions of electrolyte ions with thermally excited carriers in semiconductors. The most valuable feature of the STC is that, after power generation was completed, the performance recovers by leaving the cell in the heat source. However, the reason for this restore has been unclear. In this study, the recovery phenomenon was investigated with the viewpoint of electrolyte thickness. As a result, the cell with the thinnest thickness and smallest quantity of electrolyte discharged for the longest time, with faster recovery and better discharge characteristics. These consequences clearly demonstrated the difference between primary batteries and STCs.