title: AlGaAs55Fe X-ray radioisotope microbattery.
abstract: This paper describes the performance of a fabricated prototype Al0.2Ga0.8As55Fe radioisotope microbattery photovoltaic cells over the temperature range -20 °C to 50 °C. Two 400 μm diameter p+-i-n+(3 μm i-layer) Al0.2Ga0.8As mesa photodiodes were used as conversion devices in a novel X-ray microbattery prototype. The changes of the key microbattery parameters were analysed in response to temperature: the open circuit voltage, the maximum output power and the internal conversion efficiency decreased when the temperature was increased. At -20 °C, an open circuit voltage and a maximum output power of 0.2 V and 0.04 pW, respectively, were measured per photodiode. The best internal conversion efficiency achieved for the fabricated prototype was only 0.95% at -20 °C.
authors.affiliation: Semiconductor Materials and Device Laboratory, School of Engineering and Informatics, University of Sussex, Brighton, BN1 9QT, UK.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Butera
authors.affiliation: Semiconductor Materials and Device Laboratory, School of Engineering and Informatics, University of Sussex, Brighton, BN1 9QT, UK.
authors.forename: M D C
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Whitaker
authors.affiliation: Semiconductor Materials and Device Laboratory, School of Engineering and Informatics, University of Sussex, Brighton, BN1 9QT, UK.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lioliou
authors.affiliation: Semiconductor Materials and Device Laboratory, School of Engineering and Informatics, University of Sussex, Brighton, BN1 9QT, UK.
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Barnett