Betavoltaic battery performance: Comparison of modeling and experiment

Area of Science:

• Nuclear Engineering
• Semiconductor Device Physics

Background:

• Betavoltaic devices convert radioactive decay energy into electricity.
• Accurate simulation is crucial for optimizing betavoltaic cell design and performance prediction.

Purpose of the Study:

• To verify Monte Carlo simulation software for short-circuit current prediction in betavoltaic devices.
• To compare simulation results with experimental data using various semiconductor converters.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a Nickel-63 (Ni-63) radioactive source.
• Employed Silicon (Si) p-i-n diodes, Silicon Carbide (SiC), and Gallium Nitride (GaN) Schottky diodes as converters.
• Performed experimental measurements and Monte Carlo simulations.

Main Results:

• The simulation method showed good agreement with experimental measurements.
• Differences between measured and calculated short-circuit currents were within 25%.
• Predicted output power errors were below 30%.

Conclusions:

• The proposed Monte Carlo modeling method is valid for predicting betavoltaic device performance.
• The study estimated the effects of protective and passivating layers on energy deposition.
• Maximum attainable betavoltaic cell parameters were estimated.