Analysis of the attainable efficiency of a direct-bandgap betavoltaic element

TL;DR

This paper analyzes the efficiency limits of direct-bandgap betavoltaic devices using GaAs semiconductors, deriving expressions for electron-hole collection and comparing different radioactive sources to optimize energy conversion.

Contribution

It provides a new analytical expression for the collection coefficient considering the dead layer and compares the efficiency of different beta sources with GaAs p-n junctions.

Findings

Collection coefficient Q is close to 1 for a broad range of electron lifetimes.

Beta-conversion efficiency for r source exceeds that of m source with GaAs.

Optimal device parameters depend on carrier lifetime and junction thickness.

Abstract

Conversion of energy of beta-particles into electric energy in a p-n junction based on direct-bandgap semiconductors, such as GaAs, considering realistic semiconductor system parameters is analyzed. An expression for the collection coefficient, $Q$, of the electron-hole pairs generated by beta-electrons is derived taking into account the existence of the dead layer. We show that the collection coefficient of beta-electrons emitted by a \Tr-source to a GaAs p-n junction is close to 1 in a broad range of electron lifetimes in the junction, ranging from $10^{-9}$ to $10^{-7}$ s. For the combination \Pm/GaAs, $Q$ is relatively large ($\ge 0.4$) only for quite long lifetimes (about $10^{-7}$ s) and large thicknesses (about $100\,\mu$m) of GaAs p-n junctions. For realistic lifetimes of minority carriers and their diffusion coefficients, the open-circuit voltage realized due to the irradiation of a GaAs p-n junction by beta-particles is obtained. The attainable beta-conversion efficiency $\eta$ in the case of a \Tr/GaAs combination is found to exceed that of the \Pm/GaAs combination.