High energy density nuclide-emitter, voltaic-junction battery

• US 5,260,621 A
• Filed: 03/18/1991
• Issued: 11/09/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 03/18/1991
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Spire Corporation
• Original Assignee: Spire Corporation
• Inventors: Little, Roger G., Burke, Edward A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Moskowitz, Nelson
• Application Number:
  US07/672,879
• Time in Patent Office: 967 Days
• Field of Search: 310/303, 429/5, 136/202, 136/253
• US Class Current: 310/303
• CPC Class Codes: G21H 1/103 Cells provided with thermo-electric generators
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/041 Provisions for preventing damage caused by corpuscular radiation, e.g. for space applications
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/50 Photovoltaic [PV] energy

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.

Claims

1. 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.

2. The electric battery of claim 1, wherein said nuclear source is a beta emitter.

3. The electric battery of claim 1, wherein said nuclear source is an alpha emitter.

4. The electric battery of claim 1 wherein said Group III elements are selected from the class consisting of boron, aluminium, gallium and indium.

5. The electric battery of claim 1 wherein said Group V elements are selected from the class consisting of phosphorous, arsenic and antimony.

6. The electric battery of claim 1 wherein the normal operating temperature within said thermal impedance enclosure is at least as great as 50°

C.

7. The electric battery of claim 1 wherein said semiconductor-junction is a stratum, one surface of which is characterized by a p-dopant and the other surface of which is characterized by an n-dopant.

8. The electric battery of claim 7 wherein said p-dopant is selected from the class consisting of zinc and cadmium, and said n-dopant is selected from the class consisting of silicon and sulfur.

9. The electric battery of claim 1, wherein said semiconductor junction contains indium phosphide.

17. The electric battery of claim 1 wherein said semiconductor strata have opposed faces characterized by a p-dopant and an n-dopant.

18. The electric battery of claim 17 wherein said p-dopant is selected from the class consisting of zinc and cadmium, and said n-dopant is selected from the class consisting of silicon and sulfur.

19. The electric battery of claim 1 wherein said semiconductor junction contains indium phosphide as its characteristic ingredient.

10. 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.

11. The electric battery of claim 10, wherein said nuclear source is a an alpha emitter.

12. The electric battery of claim 10 wherein said nuclear source is a beta emitter.

13. The electric battery of claim 10 wherein said source is a gamma emitter.

14. The electric battery of claim 10 wherein said Group III elements are selected from the class consisting of boron, aluminium, gallium and indium.

15. The electric battery of claim 10 wherein said Group V elements are selected from the class consisting of phosphorous, arsenic and antimony.

16. The electric battery of claim 10 wherein the normal operating temperature within said thermal impedance enclosure is at least as great as 50°

C.