Silicon-Carbide Epitaxial Structures for Betavoltaic Converters

V. A. Ilyin^a*, A. V. Afanasyev^a**, V. V. Luchinin^a***, D. A. Chigirev^a, and A. V. Serkov^a

^aSt. Petersburg State Electrotechnical University ETU (LETI), St. Petersburg, 197376 Russia

Correspondence to: *e-mail: ilyincmid@gmail.com
Correspondence to: **e-mail: a_afanasjev@mail.ru
Correspondence to: ***e-mail: cmid_leti@mail.ru

Received 15 September, 2021

Abstract—A physical and technological analysis of silicon-carbide epitaxial structures as the basic components of betavoltaic converters (BVC) is carried out. The main factors limiting the efficiency of SiC-BVCs are determined. It is shown that in order to provide the required level of electric power for an actually long-term inexhaustible energy source, it is necessary to use series-parallel hybrid circuits of large-area betavoltaic multichip converters.

Keywords: betavoltaic converter (BVС), silicon carbide, epitaxial structure, p, n diode

DOI: 10.1134/S2635167622070096