SBIR Phase II: Wide Bandgap Semiconductor Betavoltaic Powered Sensor Controller

Award ID: 1853115

The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project is a breakthrough power source for small electronic devices that will move the reality of smart cities and smart rural areas closer to the vision. The center piece of the innovation is the wide bandgap semiconductor betavoltaic power source, essentially an innovative nuclear-based micro-battery. The energy storage density of this power source is estimated to be three orders of magnitude greater than conventional NiMH battery technology. This power innovation will be combined with the very latest in ultra low power electronics and energy harvesting circuitry to realize sensors that are effectively self-powered for the useful life of device. The betavoltaic power source will enable the realization of the 'Internet-of-Things' vision by solving the power challenge, supporting the public good through enhanced safety and security, improved mobility and support for new and disruptive business ventures. The proposed project will attempt to solve a portion of the power challenge that today limits the implementation and scale of Internet of Things (IoT) solutions. Experts predict billions and possibly trillions of "things" connected by IoT technologies. This requires transformative advances in the science, technology, and engineering. The proposed betavoltaic power source will achieve advancements in all three areas, focused on the power challenge. Although research papers have been published on micro nuclear batteries, the power levels of the previous implementations are insufficient for broad market application. Through the use of novel fabrication techniques and optimal material selection and placement, the proposed power source will achieve at least an order of magnitude improvement in power efficiency over any previous result achieved, with target power efficiency level in excess of 30%. This surpasses the breakout power level required for mass adoption of the new power source. Work on this power source will result in new technology development for enhancing the efficiency of nuclear micro-battery. New semiconductor material processing and fabrication techniques related to the incorporation of radioactive materials will be developed as well as greater understanding of wide band gap semiconductor material behavior under irradiation as applied to radiation-hardened electronics. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

NSF Program Director: Benaiah Schrag