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US 8,552,616 B2Granted
Micro-scale power source
AssigneeThe Curators of the University of Missouri
InventorMark A. Prelas
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A micro-scale power source and method includes a semiconductor structure having an n-type semiconductor region, a p-type semiconductor region and a p-n junction. A radioisotope provides energy to the p-n junction resulting in electron-hole pairs being formed in the n-type semiconductor region and p-type semiconductor region, which causes electrical current to pass through p-n junction and produce electrical power.
Claims15
A micro-scale power source, comprising:
- a semiconductor structure having a p-n junction formed of wide band-gap materials;
- a radioisotope providing energy to said p-n junction;
- and
- a radiation shield located within said semiconductor structure, wherein said radiation shield comprises a high density rare gas radioactive isotope micro bubble, wherein said high density causes excimer states in the rare gas radioactive isotope that decay to produce photons.
1 more element
A micro-scale power source, comprising:
- a semiconductor structure having a p-n junction formed of wide band-gap materials;
- a radioisotope providing energy to said p-n junction;
- and
- a radiation shield located within said semiconductor structure, wherein said radiation shield comprises implanted atoms defining a high density rare gas micro bubble that is a small volume within said semiconductor structure having a locally changed band-gap, wherein said high density causes excimer states in the rare gas that decay to produce photons.
1 more element
A micro-scale power source, comprising:
- a semiconductor structure having a p-n junction formed of wide band-gap materials;
- a radioisotope providing energy to said p-n junction;
- and
- a radiation shield located within said semiconductor structure, wherein said radiation shield comprises a high density micro bubble filled with one of Kr or Xe, wherein said high density causes excimer states in the KR or Xe that decay to produce photons.
1 more element
A method of forming a power source, comprising the steps of:
- forming a semiconductor structure having a p-n junction of wide band-gap materials;
- implanting rare gas atoms in said semiconductor structure to form a micro bubble having high gas pressure defining a small volume of locally changed band-gap, wherein said gas pressure creates high density of the rare gas atoms sufficient to cause excimer states in the rare gas atoms that decay to produce photons;
- and
- providing radioactive energy to said p-n junction,
- wherein said implanted atoms are excited to produce photons in said micro bubble, said photons impinging upon said p-n junction to generate electrical power.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.