Beta Radiation Enhanced Thermionic Emission from Diamond Thin Films
At a Glance
Section titled āAt a Glanceā| Metadata | Details |
|---|---|
| Publication Date | 2017-11-13 |
| Journal | Frontiers in Mechanical Engineering |
| Authors | Alex Croot, Gary Wan, Alex Rowan, Hugo Dominguez Andrade, James A. Smith |
| Institutions | University of Bristol |
| Citations | 15 |
Abstract
Section titled āAbstractāDiamond-based thermionic emission devices could provide a means to produce clean and renewable energy through direct heat-to-electrical energy conversion. Hindering progress of the technology are the thermionic output current and threshold temperature of the emitter cathode. In this report, we study the effects on thermionic emission caused by in situ exposure of the diamond cathode to beta radiation. Nitrogen-doped diamond thin films were grown by microwave plasma chemical vapor deposition on molybdenum substrates. The hydrogen-terminated nanocrystalline diamond was studied using a vacuum diode setup with a 63Ni beta radiation source-embedded anode, which produced a 2.7-fold increase in emission current compared to a 59Ni-embedded control. The emission threshold temperature was also examined to further assess the enhancement of thermionic emission, with 63Ni lowering the threshold temperature by an average of 58 Ā± 11 Ā°C compared to the 59Ni control. Various mechanisms for the enhancement are discussed, with a satisfactory explanation remaining elusive. Nevertheless, one possibility is discussed involving excitation of preexisting conduction band electrons that may skew their energy distribution toward higher energies.
Tech Support
Section titled āTech SupportāOriginal Source
Section titled āOriginal SourceāReferences
Section titled āReferencesā- 2015 - Plasmon-induced hot carrier science and technology [Crossref]
- 2002 - Lattice damage caused by the irradiation of diamond [Crossref]
- 2010 - Multiscale three-dimensional simulations of charge gain and transport in diamond [Crossref]
- 2013 - Enhanced thermionic currents by non equilibrium electron populations of metals [Crossref]
- 1930 - Thermionic emission [Crossref]
- 2003 - Secondary electron emission from CVD diamond films [Crossref]
- 2008 - Theoretical models for doping diamond for semiconductor applications [Crossref]
- 1989 - Thermoemission reactor-converters for nuclear power units in outer space [Crossref]
- 2006 - Physics of Surfaces and Interfaces
- 2004 - On the thermionic emission from nitrogen-doped diamond films with respect to energy conversion [Crossref]