[2A18-21] Waste Management

[2A18] Direct energy conversion using Ni/SiC Schottky junction in ²³⁷Np and ²⁴¹Am gamma ray regions: Interfacial effect

Tatsuo Fukuda¹, Masaaki Kobata¹, Takahisa Shobu¹, *Kenji Yoshii¹, Junichiro Kamiya¹, Yosuke Iwamoto¹, Takahiro Makino², Yuichi Yamazaki², Takeshi Ohshima², Yasuhiro Shirai³ (1. JAEA, 2. QST, 3. NIMS)

Keywords:Energy conversion, Nuclear waste, Gamma ray, SiC, Schottky junction, Interface

Direct energy conversion has been investigated using Ni/SiC Schottky junctions with the irradiation of monochromatized synchrotron X-rays simulating the gamma rays of 237Np (30 keV) and 241Am (60keV). From current-voltage measurements, the energy conversion efficiencies were found to reach up to ~1.6%, which is comparable to those of a few other semiconducting systems reported thus far. Also, we found different conversion efficiencies between the two samples. This could be understandable from hard X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and secondary ion mass spectroscopy measurements, suggesting the formation of Ni-Si compounds at the interface in the sample with a poor performance.