Beta Sources for 2D Betavoltaic Radioisotope Micro Power Sources

摘要

Because the specific energy density available in radioactive decay is five orders of magnitude greater than the specific energy density available from chemical reactions, radioisotope micro-power sources (RIMS) hold great promise for the development of small power sources for use in numerous applications including microelectromechanical (MEMS) systems. While a number of conversion schemes can be employed in RIMS, direct voltaic conversion technologies are compatible with the semiconductor manufacturing processes used in MEMS. A direct conversion betavoltaic RIMS consists of a p-n semiconductor and a radioisotope power supply. The betavoltaic generates power by converting beta emissions into electron hole pairs near the p-n junction of the semiconductor.