High energy density nuclide-emitter, voltaic-junction battery
AssigneeSpire Corporation
InventorsRoger G. Little, Edward A. Burke
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An electric battery comprises a semiconductor junction incorporating an inorganic crystalline compound of Group III and Group V elements of the Periodic Table characterized by a predetermined annealing temperature for defects therein; a nuclear source of relatively high energy radiation and concomitant heat, which radiation causes generation of such defects in the semiconductor junction; and a thermal impedance enclosure for the nuclear source and the semiconductor-junction for retaining therewithin a sufficient quantity of heat to maintain a functional relationship between the generation of defects and the predetermined annealing temperature during operation.
Claims19
An electric battery comprising:
- (a) a semiconductor junction incorporating an inorganic crystalline compound of Group III and Group V elements of the Periodic Table characterized by a predetermined annealing temperature for defects therein;
- (b) a nuclear source of relatively high energy radiation and concomitant heat, said radiation causing generation of said defects in said semiconductor junction;
- and
- (c) a thermal impedance enclosure for said nuclear source and said semiconductor-junction for retaining therewithin a sufficient quantity of heat generated by said nuclear source to maintain a functional relationship between said generation of defects and said predetermined annealing temperature during operation;
- (d) said semiconductor junction characterized by a radiation damage threshold;
- (e) said nuclear source being radionuclide selected from the class consisting of alpha, gamma and beta emitters;
- (f) said nuclear source being a radionuclide having a relatively high energy above said radiation damage threshold;
- (g) said normal operating temperature within said thermal impedance enclosure being at least as great as said predetermined annealing temperature.
An electric battery comprising:
- (a) a stack of power cells including radionuclide emitter strata and voltaic junction strata;
- (b) said radionuclide emitter strata constituting a nuclear source of relatively high energy radiation and hat;
- (c) said voltaic junction strata being composed of semiconductor compounds of Group III and Group V elements of the periodic table subject to generation of mobile defects therein characterized by a predetermined annealing temperature;
- (d) a thermal impedance enclosure for said stack for retaining therewithin a sufficient quantity of heat generated by said nuclear source to maintain said semiconductor junction strata above said predetermined annealing temperature during operation;
- (e) said semiconductor junction strata being characterized at their opposite surfaces by p-regions and n-regions, positive conductor terminals being operatively connected to said p-regions, negative conductor terminals being operatively connected to said n-regions;
- (f) said positive conductor terminals and said negative conductor terminals being accessible externally of said thermal impedance enclosure.
- (g) said semiconductor junction being characterized by a radiation semiconductor threshold
- (h) said nuclear source being a radionuclide selected from the class consisting of alpha, beta, and gamma emitters;
- (i) said nuclear source being a radionuclide having a relatively high energy above said radiation damage threshold;
- (j) said normal operating temperature within said thermal impedance enclosure is at least as great as said predetermined annealing temperature.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.