Proposed high-power beta cells from MgAlB14-type icosahedral-boron semiconductors

Proposed high-power beta cells from MgAlB14-type icosahedral-boron semiconductors

Blog Article

Beta cells generate electric power as copyright-producing beta irradiation from incorporated radioisotopes bombard a series of p-n-junctions.However, radiation damage to the semiconductors commonly used in solar cells limits beta cells to extremely weak irradiations that generate concomitantly miniscule electric powers, e.g.

micro-Watts.By contrast, beta cells Sticker that generate many orders-of-magnitude larger powers are possible with icosahedral boron-rich semiconductors since their bombardment-induced atomic displacements spontaneously self-heal.Furthermore, substitutions for Mg and Al atoms of icosahedral-boron-rich semiconductors based on the MgAlB14 structure can produce p-n junctions as electron transfers from doping-induced interstitial extra-icosahedral atoms convert some normally p-type materials to n-type.

Moreover, electron-phonon interactions of the resulting readily displaceable interstitial cations with charge carriers foster their forming large polarons.Oppositely charged polarons repel one another at short range.These repulsions suppress the recombination of n-type with p-type polarons thereby increasing the beta-cell efficiency.

All Herbie Hose Clamps told, use of these icosahedral boron-rich semiconductors could enable beta cells with electric powers that are many orders of magnitude larger than those of existing beta cells.This development opens a new avenue for generating electricity from nuclear decays.