Millimeter-scale radioluminescent power for electronic sensors
Summary: The storage and generation of electrical energy at the mm-scale is a core roadblock to realizing many untethered miniature systems, including industrial, environmental, and medically implanted sensors. We describe the potential to address the sensor energy requirement in a two-step process...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Elsevier
2025-01-01
|
| Series: | iScience |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2589004224029134 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| Summary: | Summary: The storage and generation of electrical energy at the mm-scale is a core roadblock to realizing many untethered miniature systems, including industrial, environmental, and medically implanted sensors. We describe the potential to address the sensor energy requirement in a two-step process by first converting alpha radiation into light, which can then be translated into electrical power through a photovoltaic harvester circuit protected by a clear sealant. Different phosphorescent and scintillating materials were mixed with the alpha-emitter Th-227, and the conversion efficiency of europium-doped yttrium oxide was the highest at around 2%. Measurements of the light generated by this phosphor when combined with Th-227 reveal that over 100 nW of optical power can be expected at volumes around 1 mm3 over more than two months. The use of a clear sealant, together with the evaporation of liquid solution following the mixture, can enable safe miniaturization for size-constrained medical and internet-of-things (IoT) sensor applications. |
|---|---|
| ISSN: | 2589-0042 |