Radioisotope power source embedded in electronic devices

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10083771-B2
Application number	US-201514753174-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 29, 2015
Priority date	Jun 29, 2015
Publication date	Sep 25, 2018
Grant date	Sep 25, 2018

Abstract

An electronic device is proposed. The electronic device comprises: at least one electronic component formed in a chip of semiconductor material; at least one radioisotope power source unit comprising a radioactive material. The at least one radioisotope power source unit is embedded in the chip of semiconductor material together with the at least one electronic component. Moreover, the at least one radioisotope power source unit is arranged for providing electric power to said at least one electronic component by absorbing particles emitted by said radioactive material comprised in the least one radioisotope power source unit.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electronic device comprising:
at least one electronic component formed in a chip of semiconductor material;
at least one radioisotope power source unit comprising a radioactive material;
wherein the at least one radioisotope power source unit is embedded in the chip of semiconductor material together with the at least one electronic component;
wherein the at least one radioisotope power source unit comprises a conversion arrangement absorbing particles emitted by said radioactive material comprised in the least one radioisotope power source unit and converting the energy associated with said particles into electric power; and
wherein the conversion arrangement provides said electric power to said at least one electronic component, the at least one electronic component exploiting said electric power;
wherein the at least one radioisotope power source unit comprises a radioisotope cavity arranged for containing said radioactive material;
wherein the conversion arrangement comprises a plurality of semiconductor diodes having a lateral structure and being electrically connected in series; and
wherein between consecutive semiconductor diodes of said plurality of semiconductor diodes a respective intervening intrinsic semiconductor portion is provided, each of said intervening intrinsic semiconductor portions serving as a platform for respective electrically conductive structures which electrically couple together said consecutive semiconductor diodes.

2. An electronic device comprising:
at least one electronic component formed in a chip of semiconductor material;
at least one radioisotope power source unit comprising a radioactive material;
wherein the at least one radioisotope power source unit is embedded in the chip of semiconductor material together with the at least one electronic component;
wherein the at least one radioisotope power source unit is arranged for providing electric power to said at least one electronic component by absorbing particles emitted by said radioactive material comprised in the least one radioisotope power source unit;
wherein the at least one radioisotope power source unit comprises a radioisotope cavity arranged for containing said radioactive material and a conversion arrangement arranged for absorbing particles emitted by said radioactive material and converting the energy associated with said particles in electric power;
wherein the conversion arrangement comprises a plurality of PIN diodes, having a lateral structure and being electrically connected in series; and
wherein between consecutive PIN diodes of said plurality of PIN diodes a respective intervening semiconductor portion is provided, each of said intervening semiconductor portions serving as a platform for respective electrically conductive structures which electrically couple together said consecutive PIN diodes.

3. An electronic device comprising:
at least one electronic component formed in a chip of semiconductor material;
at least one radioisotope power source unit comprising a radioactive material;
wherein the at least one radioisotope power source unit is embedded in the chip of semiconductor material together with the at least one electronic component;
wherein the at least one radioisotope power source unit is arranged for providing electric power to said at least one electronic component by absorbing particles emitted by said radioactive material comprised in the least one radioisotope power source unit;
wherein the at least one radioisotope power source unit comprises a radioisotope cavity arranged for containing said radioactive material and a conversion arrangement arranged for absorbing particles emitted by said radioactive material and converting the energy associated with said particles in electric power;
wherein the conversion arrangement comprises a plurality of PIN diodes, having a lateral structure and being electrically connected in series; and
wherein a resulting surface of the conversion arrangement has a continuous, planar structure formed by the flushing surfaces of the PIN diodes and the intervening portions.

4. An electronic device comprising:
at least one electronic component formed in a chip of semiconductor material;
at least one radioisotope power source unit comprising a radioactive material;
wherein the at least one radioisotope power source unit is embedded in the chip of semiconductor material together with the at least one electronic component;
wherein the at least one radioisotope power source unit is arranged for providing electric power to said at least one electronic component by absorbing particles emitted by said radioactive material comprised in the least one radioisotope power source unit;
wherein the at least one radioisotope power source unit comprises a radioisotope cavity arranged for containing said radioactive material and a conversion arrangement arranged for absorbing particles emitted by said radioactive material and converting the energy associated with said particles in electric power; and
wherein the radioisotope cavity comprises an opening reaching a surface of the conversion arrangement, the radioactive material contained in the radioisotope cavity being at least partly in contact with said surface of the conversion arrangement.

5. An electronic device comprising:
at least one electronic component formed in a chip of semiconductor material;
at least one radioisotope power source unit comprising a radioactive material;
wherein the at least one radioisotope power source unit is embedded in the chip of semiconductor material together with the at least one electronic component;
wherein the at least one radioisotope power source unit is arranged for providing electric power to said at least one electronic component by absorbing particles emitted by said radioactive material comprised in the least one radioisotope power source unit;
wherein the at least one radioisotope power source unit is embedded in the semiconductor chip at a distance from the at least one electronic component, in the order of an absorption length associated with the particles emitted by the radioactive material; and
wherein the at least one radioisotope power source unit is embedded in the semiconductor chip at a distance from the at least one electronic component equal to, or greater than, the 70% of an absorption length associated with the particles emitted by the radioactive material.

6. An electronic device comprising:
at least one electronic component formed in a chip of semiconductor material;
at least one radioisotope power source unit comprising a radioactive material;
wherein the at least one radioisotope power source unit is embedded in the chip of semiconductor material together with the at least one electronic component;
wherein the at least one radioisotope power source unit is arranged for providing electric power to said at least one electronic component by absorbing particles emitted by said radioactive material comprised in the least one radioisotope power source unit;
wherein said at least one electronic component comprises a memory element having a plurality of memory cells, and said at least one radioisotope power source unit is arranged for providing at least part of the electric power required by said memory element for storing data; and
wherein the at least one radioisotope power source unit is arranged for compensating a leakage current affecting memory cells of the memory element, thus ensuring a retention of data stored in the plurality of memory cells of the memory element.

7. The electronic device according to claim 6 , wherein:
each memory cell of the plurality of memory cells comprises at least one transistor; and
the at least one radioisotope power source unit i

Assignees

• Tower Semiconductor Ltd
• RedCat Devices Srl
• Tower Semiconductor Ltd

Inventors

• Roizin Yakov
• Calligaro Cristiano

Classifications

• H10D84/80

  characterised by the integration of at least one component covered by groups H10D12/00 or H10D30/00, e.g. integration of IGFETs (H10D84/40 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G11C11/417

  for memory cells of the field-effect type · CPC title

• G21H1/06 Primary

  Cells wherein radiation is applied to the junction of different semiconductor materials · CPC title

• G11C5/14

  Power supply arrangements {, e.g. power down, chip selection or deselection, layout of wirings or power grids, or multiple supply levels} · CPC title

• H01L27/0617

  Electricity · mapped topic