Electrical generator system including radionuclide material and intrinsic n-type semiconductor material
An electrical generator system including a radionuclide material; and a sandwich structure, the sandwich structure including: a layer of an n-type semiconductor material; a layer of intrinsic n-type semiconductor material; a layer of p-type semiconductor material; and metal electrodes, one of the electrodes being in direct contact with said n-type semiconductor material and another electrode being in contact with the p-type semiconductor material, forming metal-semiconductor junctions therebetween; wherein radiation emissions received from said radionuclide material are converted into electrical energy at said metal-semiconductor junctions; and electrical contacts connected to said electrodes which facilitate the flow of said electrical energy when connected to a load.
1 . An electrical generator system including:
a radionuclide material; and a sandwich structure, the sandwich structure including:
a layer of an n-type semiconductor material;
a layer of intrinsic n-type semiconductor material;
a layer of p-type semiconductor material; and
metal electrodes, one of the electrodes being in direct contact with said n-type semiconductor material and another electrode being in contact with the p-type semiconductor material, forming metal-semiconductor junctions therebetween; wherein radiation emissions received from said radionuclide material are converted into electrical energy at said metal-semiconductor junctions; and
electrical contacts connected to said electrodes which facilitate the flow of said electrical energy when connected to a load.
2 . A system according to claim 1 , wherein the system includes multiple repetitions of said sandwich structure, so that the radiation emissions from the radionuclide material pass through said multiple repetitions of the metal-semiconductor junctions.
3 . The electrical generator system of claim 1 , wherein the intrinsic n-type semiconductor material is zinc oxide.
4 . The electrical generator system of claim 1 , wherein the n-type material is aluminium zinc oxide.
5 . The electrical generator system according to claim 4 , wherein the aluminum zinc oxide has an atomic ratio of 98 Zn to 2 Al.
6 . The electrical generator system according to claim 2 , wherein 10 or more repetitions of the sandwich structure are arranged in a unit, and multiple such units are arranged within a shielded cavity, the cavity also including one or more sections of radioactive material.
7 . The electrical generator system according to claim 1 , wherein the sandwich is formed on a substrate.
8 . The electrical generator system according to claim 1 , wherein the thin layer of zinc oxide has a thickness between 150-1500 nm.
9 . An electrical power supply device including a housing enclosing an electrical generator system according to claim 1 .
10 . The electrical generator system of claim 2 , wherein the intrinsic n-type semiconductor material is zinc oxide.
11 . The electrical generator system of claim 2 , wherein the n-type material is aluminium zinc oxide.
12 . The electrical generator system of claim 3 , wherein the n-type material is aluminium zinc oxide.
13 . The electrical generator system according to claim 2 , wherein the sandwich is formed on a substrate.
14 . The electrical generator system according to claim 3 , wherein the sandwich is formed on a substrate.
15 . The electrical generator system according to claim 2 , wherein the thin layer of zinc oxide has a thickness between 150-1500 nm.
16 . The electrical generator system according to claim 3 , wherein the thin layer of zinc oxide has a thickness between 150-1500 nm.
17 . An electrical power supply device including a housing enclosing an electrical generator system according to claim 2 .
18 . An electrical power supply device including a housing enclosing an electrical generator system according to claim 3 .