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Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute (한국전자통신연구원)
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Evaluation of a betavoltaic energy converter supporting scalable modular structure

  • Kang, Taewook (ICT Materials and Components Research Laboratory, Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute) ;
  • Kim, Jinjoo (Radioisotope Research Division, Atomic Energy Research Institute) ;
  • Park, Seongmo (ICT Materials and Components Research Laboratory, Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute) ;
  • Son, Kwangjae (Radioisotope Research Division, Atomic Energy Research Institute) ;
  • Park, Kyunghwan (ICT Materials and Components Research Laboratory, Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute) ;
  • Lee, Jaejin (ICT Materials and Components Research Laboratory, Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute) ;
  • Kang, Sungweon (ICT Materials and Components Research Laboratory, Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute) ;
  • Choi, Byoung-Gun (ICT Materials and Components Research Laboratory, Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute)
  • Received : 2018.02.08
  • Accepted : 2018.08.01
  • Published : 2019.04.07
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Abstract

Distinct from conventional energy-harvesting (EH) technologies, such as the use of photovoltaic, piezoelectric, and thermoelectric effects, betavoltaic energy conversion can consistently generate uniform electric power, independent of environmental variations, and provide a constant output of high DC voltage, even under conditions of ultra-low-power EH. It can also dramatically reduce the energy loss incurred in the processes of voltage boosting and regulation. This study realized betavoltaic cells comprised of p-i-n junctions based on silicon carbide, fabricated through a customized semiconductor recipe, and a Ni foil plated with a Ni-63 radioisotope. The betavoltaic energy converter (BEC) includes an array of 16 parallel-connected betavoltaic cells. Experimental results demonstrate that the series and parallel connections of two BECs result in an open-circuit voltage $V_{oc}$ of 3.06 V with a short-circuit current $I_{sc}$ of 48.5 nA, and a $V_{oc}$ of 1.50 V with an $I_{sc}$ of 92.6 nA, respectively. The capacitor charging efficiency in terms of the current generated from the two series-connected BECs was measured to be approximately 90.7%.

Keywords

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