THREE DIMENSIONAL RADIOISOTOPE BATTERY AND METHODS OF MAKING THE SAME

• US 20140264256A1
• Filed: 03/14/2014
• Published: 09/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lawrence Livermore National Security LLC (Government of the United States of America)
• Original Assignee: Lawrence Livermore National Security LLC (Government of the United States of America)
• Inventors: Nikolic, Rebecca J., Shao, Qinghui, Voss, Lars F., Conway, Adam P., Henderson, Roger A., Karpenko, Victor P., Shaughnessy, Dawn A., Stoyer, Mark A.
• Granted Patent: US 10,699,820 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 257/10
• CPC Class Codes: G21H 1/00 Arrangements for obtaining electrical energy from radioactive sources, e.g. from radioactive isotopes , nuclear or atomic batteries
• CPC Class Codes: G21H 1/06 Cells wherein radiation is applied to the junction of different semiconductor materials

Abstract

According to one embodiment, a product includes an array of three dimensional structures, where each of the three dimensional structure includes a semiconductor material; a cavity region between each of the three dimensional structures; and a first material in contact with at least one surface of each of the three dimensional structures, where the first material is configured to provide high energy particle and/or ray emissions.

Claims

1. A product, comprising:

an array of three dimensional structures, wherein each of the three dimensional structure comprises a semiconductor material;

a cavity region between each of the three dimensional structures; and

a first material in contact with at least one surface of each of the three dimensional structures, wherein the first material is configured to provide high energy particle and/or ray emissions.

2. The product of claim 1, wherein the semiconductor material is selected from a group consisting of:

silicon, silicon carbide, gallium arsenide, indium phosphide, icosahedral boride, and gallium nitride.

3. The product of claim 1, wherein the semiconductor material is amorphous.

4. The product of claim 1, wherein each of the three dimensional structures comprises an aspect ratio of less than about 100:

1.

5. The product of claim 1, wherein each of the three dimensional structures has a width in a range of about 10 to about 100 microns.

6. The product of claim 1, wherein the first material has a thickness in a range of about 50 to about 500 microns.

7. The product of claim 1, wherein the first material comprises a radioisotope selected from a group consisting of:

¹⁴⁸Gd, ²³⁸Pu, ²⁴⁴Cm, ²⁴³Am, ²⁴¹Am, ⁶³Ni, ¹⁰⁶Ru, and ²³²U.

8. The product of claim 1, wherein the first material comprises a tritiated metal.

9. The product of claim 1, further comprising a second material configured to provide high energy particle and/or ray emissions, wherein the second material is positioned above at least one portion of the first material.

10. The product of claim 9, wherein the second material comprises a radioisotope selected from a group consisting of:

¹⁴⁸Gd, ²³⁸Pu, ²⁴⁴Cm, ²⁴³Am, ²⁴¹Am, ⁶³Ni, ¹⁰⁶Ru, and ²³²U.

11. The product of claim 9, further comprising one or more additional materials positioned above at least one portion of the second material, wherein each of the one or more additional materials are configured to provide high energy particle and/or ray emissions.

12. The product of claim 11, wherein each of the one or more additional materials comprises a radioisotope that is independently selected from a group consisting of:

¹⁴⁸Gd, ²³⁸Pu, ²⁴⁴Cm, ²⁴³Am, ²⁴¹Am, ⁶³Ni, ¹⁰⁶Ru, and ²³²U.

13. The product of claim 1, wherein the three dimensional structures are pillars.

14. A method, comprising:

forming an array of three dimensional structures, wherein each of the three dimensional structures comprises a semiconductor material; and

applying a first material to at least one surface of each of the three dimensional structures, wherein the material is configured to provide high energy particles and/or ray emissions.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the semiconductor material is selected from a group consisting of single crystal silicon, amorphous silicon, silicon carbide, gallium arsenide, indium phosphide, gallium nitride and an icosahedral boride.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the first material comprises a radioisotope selected from a group consisting of:

¹⁴⁸Gd, ²³⁸Pu, ²⁴⁴Cm, ²⁴³Am, ²⁴¹Am, ⁶³Ni, ¹⁰⁶Ru, ²³³U, ²³²U, ²¹⁰Po, and a tritiated metal.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein forming the array of three dimensional structures includes at least one of:

wet chemical etching, ion beam etching, and plasma etching.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein applying the first material comprises at least one of:

chemical vapor deposition, electrochemical deposition, sputtering and drop casting.

19. The method of claim 14, further comprising applying a second material configured to provide high energy particle and/or ray emissions, wherein the second material is applied above at least one portion of the first material.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising applying one or more additional materials above at least one portion of the second material, wherein each of the one or more additional materials is configured to provide high energy particle and/or ray emissions.