Abstract
The experimental results and calculations of the efficiency of the energy conversion of Ni-63 β-radiation sources to electricity using silicon p–i–n diodes are presented. All calculations are performed taking into account the energy distribution of β-electrons. An expression for the converter open-circuit voltage is derived taking into account the distribution of high-energy electrons in the space-charge region of the p–i–n diode. Ways of optimizing the converter parameters by improving the technology of diodes and optimizing the emitter active layer and i-region thicknesses of the semiconductor converter are shown. The distribution of the conversion losses to the source and radiation detector and the losses to high-energy electron entry into the semiconductor is calculated. Experimental values of the conversion efficiency of 0.4–0.7% are in good agreement with the calculated parameters.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
K. E. Bower, Y. A. Barbanel, Y. G. Shreter, and G. W. Bohnert, Polymers, Phosphors, and Voltaics for Radioisotope Microbatteries (CRC, London, New York, Washington, 2002).
A. A. Reznev, A. A. Pustovalov, E. M. Maksimov, N. K. Perederii, and N. S. Petrenko, Nano-Mikrosist. Tekh. 3 (104), 14 (2009).
M. V. S. Chandrashekhar, Ch. I. Thomas, H. Li, M. G. Spencer, and A. Lal, Appl. Phys. Lett. 88, 033506 (2006).
C. J. Eiting, V. Krishnamoorthy, E. Romero, and S. Jones, in Proceedings of the 42nd Power Source Conference, Philadelphia, PA, June 12–15, 2006, p. 601.
V. M. Andreev, A. G. Kavetsky, V. S. Khvostikov, V. R. Larionov, V. D. Rumyantsev, M. Z. Shvarts, E. V. Yakimova, and V. A. Ystinov, in Proceedings of the 28th IEEE Photovoltaic Specialists Conference, Anchorage, 2000 (2000), p. 1253.
G. C. Rybicki, NASA Rev., 11, 200 (2001).
H. Guo and A. Lal, IEEE Transducer, 36, 131 (2003).
W. Sun, N. P. Kherani, K. D. Hirschman, L. L. Gadeken, and P. M. Fauchet, Adv. Mater., 17, 1230 (2005).
J. K. Chu, X. G. Piao, M. J. Li, et al., J. Micro/Nanolithogr., MEMS, MOEMS, 8, 021180 (2009).
S. M. Sze, Physics of Semiconductor Devices (Wiley, New York, 1981), Vol. 1.
T. E. Everhart and P. H. Hoff, J. Appl. Phys., 42, 5837 (1971).
V. K. S. Ong and P. C. Phua, Semicond. Sci. Technol., 16, 691 (2001).
V. M. Kolobashkin, P. M. Rubtsov, V. G. Aleksakin, and A. Ruzhanskii, Beta-Radiation of Fission, The Reference Book (Atomizdat, Moscow, 1978) [in Russian].
S. V. Bulyarskii and N. S. Grushko, Generation-Recombination Processes in Active Elements (Mosk. Gos. Univ., Moscow, 1995) [in Russian].
S. V. Bulyarsky, N. S. Grushko, A. I. Somov, and A. V. Lakalin, Semiconductors, 31, 983 (1997).
V. I. Gaman, Physics of Semiconductor Devices (NLT, Tomsk, 2000) [in Russian].
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
Original Russian Text © S.V. Bulyarskiy, A.V. Lakalin, I.E. Abanin, V.V. Amelichev, V.V. Svetuhin, 2017, published in Fizika i Tekhnika Poluprovodnikov, 2017, Vol. 51, No. 1, pp. 68–74.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Bulyarskiy, S.V., Lakalin, A.V., Abanin, I.E. et al. Optimization of the parameters of power sources excited by β-radiation. Semiconductors 51, 66–72 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1134/S1063782617010055
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1134/S1063782617010055