NUCLEAR BATTERY Russian patent published in 2012 - IPC H01L31/04 

FIELD: physics.

SUBSTANCE: invention can be used as a battery in different electronic devices which consume low current but are forced to operate without replacement of power sources for a decade. The essence of the invention lies in that the nuclear battery has a housing filled with isotope material, in which there is at least one semiconductor detector in whose volume wells are formed, wherein all dimensions of the wells are smaller than the free path of particles emitted by the gaseous isotope. The detector is in form of alternating n⁺, i (either ν or π) and p⁺-type layers in the sequence n⁺-i-p⁺-i-…-n⁺-i-p⁺, wherein these layers lie in planes which are perpendicular to walls of the wells; ohmic contacts are formed on n⁺-type layers, said ohmic contacts being electrically connected to each other. The same contacts are also formed to p⁺-type layers which are also connected to each other.

EFFECT: simple technology making a semiconductor detector which converts energy of beta-particles to electric current.

1 dwg