Radioisotope-powered semiconductor battery
AssigneeOntario Hydro
InventorsLennart Mannik, Harry E. Ruda, Samuel B. Peralta, Frank Y. Chu
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Abstract
A radioisotope-powered semiconductor battery comprises a substrate of a crystalline semiconductor material, the material having at least one degree of confinement, and a radioactive power source comprising at least one radioactive element. The power source is positioned relative to the substrate to allow for impingement of emitted particles on the substrate. The semiconductor material may be electronically, structurally or chemically confined. The radioactive element is preferably impregnated within or immediately adjacent the semiconductor material.
Claims27
A radioisotope-powered semiconductor battery comprising:
- (a) a substrate of a crystalline semiconductor material, and
- (b) a radioactive power source comprising at least one radioactive element, said radioactive power source positioned relative to said substrate to allow for impingement of particles emitted by said at least one radioactive element on said substrate, so as to produce mobile carriers in said semiconductor material said radioactive power source providing relatively low energy radiation so as to minimize degradation of the semiconductor material,
- (c) wherein said semiconductor material has material properties which confine the movement of said mobile carriers within said semiconductor material in at least one direction.
A radioisotope-powered semiconductor battery, the battery comprising a plurality of cells, each of said cells comprising a substrate of semiconductor material, and at least one radioactive power source, each of said at least one radioactive power sources comprising at least one radioactive element, said at least one radioactive power source positioned relative to said cells to allow for impingement of particles emitted by said radioactive element on said substrates, so as to produce mobile carriers in each said semiconductor material, each of said at least one radioactive power sources providing relatively low energy radiation so as to minimize degradation of the semiconductor material, wherein each said semiconductor material has material properties which confine the movement of said mobile carriers within said semiconductor material in at least one direction, and wherein the electrical output of each said cells is cumulatively combined.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.