1. A method of modifying surface area in a trench in a semiconductor substrate comprising the steps of: applying a first layer on a surface of the substrate and in the trench; removing the first layer from the surface of the substrate in an etching treatment, and providing a surface modification treatment to effect a surface modification only in the trench
2. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the etching treatment is carried out without a mask.
3. A method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the etching treatment is a dry etching technique.
4. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein a portion of the substrate is covered with a protective layer prior to application of the trench and of the first layer.
5. A method of manufacturing an electronic device comprising the steps of: modifying surface area in trench as claimed in claim 1, wherein the modified surface is electrically conducting; depositing a dielectric material in the trench and on the substrate surface depositing an electrode material on top of the dielectric material; patterning the dielectric and the electrode material on the substrate surface to provide electrical connections to a first electrode defined in the modified surface area of the trench and to a second electrode defined in the electrode material in the trench.
6. A method as claimed in claim 5, wherein the dielectric is a solid state electrolyte and the structure of the first electrode, the dielectric and the second electrode constitutes a battery.
7. An electronic device comprising a semiconductor substrate provided with a substantially planar surface and with a trench having an aperture in the substrate surface and having a textural trench surface, which substrate is further provided with a substrate zone adjacent to the trench, in andor on which substrate zone an electric element is defined.
8. An electronic device as claimed in claim 7, wherein the textural shape of the trench surface is constituted by hemispheral grown semiconductor material.
9. An electronic device as claimed in claim 7, wherein the substrate zone is substantially free of charge carriers.
10. An electronic device as claimed in claim 9, wherein the electrical element is an inductor.
11. An electronic device as claimed in claim 9, wherein the electrical element is a semiconductor element and the substrate zone acts as a channel or insulating zone in the semiconductor element.
12. An assembly comprising the electronic device of claim 7 and a semiconductor element assembled to it.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A hybrid power source system comprising:
a solar cell module or a fuel cell module;
direct-current voltage converting means for supplying a suitable voltage to a load and a secondary cell after said solar cell module or said fuel cell module is connected to an input side, said load and said secondary cell is connected to an output side, and a generated electric power which said solar cell module or said fuel cell module generates is converted into the suitable voltage;
said secondary cell connected in parallel with said load on the output side of said direct-current voltage converting means; and
a shunt circuit connected in parallel with said secondary cell on the output side of said direct-current voltage converting means, said shunt circuit serving to transform substantially all of a surplus electric power which is not consumed in said load, of the generated electric power, into heat to abandon the resulting heat when said secondary cell is substantially in a full charging state.
2. The hybrid power source system according to claim 1, wherein an output voltage from said direct-current voltage converting means is set slightly higher than a voltage of said secondary cell.
3. The hybrid power source system according to claim 1, wherein an input side voltage of said direct-current voltage converting means is controlled so as to become an optimal operating voltage of said solar cell module or said fuel cell module, or the vicinity thereof.
4. The hybrid power source system according to claim 1, wherein said shunt circuit is composed of a constant voltage diode, a Zener voltage thereof is a voltage having a magnitude which enables said secondary cell to be substantially in a full charging state, and also having a magnitude which prevents an overcharging state of said secondary cell.
5. The hybrid power source system according to claim 1, wherein said shunt circuit is composed of plural diodes connected in series, and a sum of forward voltage drops of said diodes is a voltage having a magnitude which enables said secondary cell to be substantially in a full charging state, and also having a magnitude which prevents an overcharging state of said secondary cell.
6. The hybrid power source system according to claim 1, wherein said shunt circuit is composed of a shunt regulator circuit having a shunt path composed of a transistor, and a maximum value of a voltage applied across terminals of said secondary cell is controlled by said shunt regulator circuit so as to become a voltage having a magnitude which enables said secondary cell to be substantially in a full charging state, and also having a magnitude which prevents an overcharging state of said secondary cell.
7. The hybrid power source system according to claim 6, wherein the maximum value of the voltage controlled by said shunt regulator circuit is set by comparison between a reference voltage obtained by dividing the voltage by using a division resistor, and an internal standard voltage which said shunt regulator circuit has.
8. The hybrid power source system according to claim 1, wherein said solar cell is a dye-sensitized solar cell.
9. The hybrid power source system according to claim 1, wherein said fuel cell is a direct methanol fuel cell.
10. The hybrid power source system according to claim 1, wherein said secondary cell is a lithium-ion cell.