¹Research Center in Industrial Technologies CRTI, P.O. Box 64, Cheraga 16014, Algiers, Algeria
²Laser Technologies Research and Application Center (LATARUM), Kocaeli University,
41275, Yeniköy, Kocaeli, Turkey
³Department of Physics, Division of Science & Technology, University of Education, Lahore, Pakistan
⁴Electrical Engineering Department, College of Engineering, Taif University,
P. O. Box 11099, Taif 21944, Saudi Arabia
⁵DIIES – Mediterranea University of Reggio Calabria, 89122 Reggio Calabria, Italy
*Corresponding author email: f.bouzid@crti.dz

Abstract. The design of semiconductor-based heterojunction structures can be turned useful to raise the efficiency of nuclear micro-batteries. In this study, we have investigated a micro-power alphavoltaic battery by using a lab-made software. The nuclear battery consists of an In0.49Ga0.51P/GaAs heterostructure irradiated by americium-241 (Am241) alpha particles with an average kinetic energy of 5.485 MeV. The alphavoltaic battery exhibits an overall active area of 1 cm2. Based on a comprehensive analytical model, the device current density-voltage J(V) and output electric power P(V) characteristics are simulated extracting the energy conversion efficiency. The model takes into account the reflection of the incident alpha particles, the ohmic losses, the effect of the boundary between the two layers, and the depletion region borders. Different values of the radioisotope apparent activity density, the emitter and base dopant concentrations, and the surface recombination velocities in both the front and back layers are considered during the simulations to optimize the battery performance. The present study reports that by irradiating by a 2.4 mCi/cm2 Am241 source, the obtained energy conversion efficiency of the battery can reach 10.31% with a maximum output power density of 16.07 µW/cm2. Therefore, In0.49Ga0.51P/GaAs heterostructure coupled with Am241 seems a promising design for long-term energy supply in harsh environments.

Keywords:talphavoltaic battery, heterostructure, americium-241, alpha particles, ohmic losses.

Full Text (PDF)

Back to Volume 27 N2