CITY LABS, INC. — National Aeronautics and Space Administration SBIR Phase I: S3

Description

<p style="margin-left:0in; margin-right:0in">The proposed innovation will significantly improve the performance of tritium-powered betavoltaic batteries through the development of a high bandgap InAlP diode coupled to a high beta-flux thin film metal tritide. Tritium has a power density of 300 W/kg and&nbsp;City Labs&rsquo; new metal hydride film has a power density approaching 70 W/Kg and can be expanded to 100 W/kg.This project will investigate the performance improvement from a wide bandgap semiconductor diode, specifically with the goal of achieving &gt;10% beta-electron energy conversion efficiency. The device will be built by City Labs with its tritium beta emitter expertise and MicroLink&#39;s metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) capability. &nbsp;</p><p>The proposed Phase I research seeks to develop an InAlP p/n junction with a high beta-flux metal tritide for use in betavoltaic power sources.&nbsp; The betavoltaic p/n junction will increase the efficiency of betavoltaic devices from 8% up to 12%&nbsp; based on the incident tritium beta flux.&nbsp; The secondary goal is to investigate the release of the betavoltaic epitaxial layer through the removal of the substrate via lapidary and/or chemical etchants.</p>