Scalable voltage source

A scalable voltage source comprising:

• at least three mutually series-connected partial voltage sources configured as semiconductor diodes, each of the partial voltage sources comprising a semiconductor diode, each semiconductor diode having a p-doped absorption layer and an n-doped absorption layer, the n-doped absorption layer being passivated by an n-doped passivation layer with a wider band gap than a band gap of the n-doped absorption layer, an output voltage of the individual partial voltage sources deviating from each of the other partial voltage sources by less than 20%;
• and
• at least two tunnel diodes, each of which is arranged between two successive partial voltage sources, each tunnel diode having a plurality of semiconductor layers with a wider band gap than a band gap of the p-doped absorption layer and n-doped absorption layer of the partial voltage source lying underneath, the plurality of semiconductor layers of each of the tunnel diodes with the wider band gap being formed of a material with changed stoichiometry or other element composition than the p-doped absorption layer and the n-doped absorption layer of the semiconductor diode laying underneath, the at least three partial voltage sources and the at least two tunnel diodes being monolithically integrated together and jointly forming a first stack, the first stack having a top side and a bottom side, and a number of the at least three partial voltage sources being greater than or equal to three,
• wherein the first stack has a total thickness of less than 12 μm,
• wherein, at 300 K, the first stack has a source voltage produced by the plurality of mutually series-connected partial voltage sources greater than 3 volts,
• wherein, in a direction from the top side of the first stack to the bottom side of the first stack, a total thickness of the p-doped absorption layer and n-doped absorption layer of a semiconductor diode increases from the topmost diode to the lowest diode, and
• wherein each p-doped absorption layer of each semiconductor diode is passivated by a p-doped passivation layer with a greater band gap than the band gap of the p-doped absorption layer.