South Korea demonstrates a silicon carbide semiconductor-based beta battery for the first time; the Nickel-63 nuclear battery promises long-term power supply.

On July 26, the Korea Electrotechnology Research Institute (KERI) announced that a team led by Senior Researcher Seo Jae-hwa from its Next-Generation Semiconductor Research Center, in collaboration with Professor Yoon Young-jun’s team at Kyungpook National University, had successfully fabricated and demonstrated a silicon carbide (SiC)-based betavoltaic battery. This device generates electricity by capturing beta rays emitted during the decay of a radioisotope. Requiring neither recharging nor replacement, it holds promise as a long-term power source for sensors in extreme environments—such as space, the deep sea, and polar regions—where human access is difficult and sunlight is scarce. The research findings were published in the *International Journal of Energy Research* on March 29.

Betavoltaic batteries operate by having a semiconductor absorb beta rays released during the decay of radioactive material and convert them into electrical energy—a process analogous to how solar cells generate electricity from light. The research team utilized silicon carbide as the core material; compared to conventional silicon, silicon carbide offers superior heat and radiation resistance, making it suitable for operation in complex environments characterized by intense radiation.

For the demonstration, researchers used Nickel-63, a radioisotope that emits beta rays. With a half-life of approximately 100 years and a slow rate of radiation intensity decay, Nickel-63 is well-suited for long-life, micro-power applications. The team reported that they successfully procured Nickel-63 meeting safety standards and established South Korea's first facility dedicated to betavoltaic battery measurement.

Test results indicated that the battery generates approximately 160 microwatts of power per square centimeter of effective area. This represents an output performance improvement of more than 60,000 times compared to previously reported experimental results in South Korea. The team also used the electricity generated by the battery to power a low-power organic light-emitting diode (OLED) prototype.

The team stated that under ideal conditions—such as coating the semiconductor surface with the radioactive material in a uniform, thin, and gap-free layer—the power output could exceed the target output of standard domestically produced batteries by more than 4,200 times. Given the half-life of Nickel-63, such batteries could provide over 50 years of maintenance-free operation for low-power devices, with a theoretical energy capacity capable of supporting operation for up to 100 years. Researchers have also developed techniques using artificial intelligence to optimize design; the resulting models can predict the output power and voltage of beta batteries with 98% to 99% accuracy. Additionally, the team conducted durability tests simulating cosmic radiation environments to evaluate performance stability under direct exposure to high-energy protons (15 MeV), thereby establishing a data foundation for future space mission applications.

Xu Zaihua noted that beta batteries are ultra-long-life power sources capable of continuously supplying low levels of power for decades in hard-to-reach locations. The research team anticipates further potential to increase output power by scaling up battery dimensions and employing multi-cell stacking and integration processes.