Patent Number: 
Section: claims

1. A charge generating device comprising:a substrate having a top surface and a bottom surface;a plurality of spaced-apart three-dimensional elements disposed on the top surface of the substrate;a plurality of cavities formed by the plurality of spaced-apart three-dimensional elements, the plurality of cavities being the area between the plurality of spaced-apart three-dimensional elements;a radioactive layer disposed on at least a portion of the plurality of spaced-apart three-dimensional elements and the top surface such that the plurality of cavities and the top surface are substantially coated by the radioactive layer, thereby forming a plurality of coated cavities;a first conducting layer disposed above the plurality of spaced-apart three-dimensional elements, wherein the first conducting layer is in electric contact with at least a portion of the plurality of spaced-apart three-dimensional elements;a second conducting layer disposed below the substrate, wherein the second conducting layer is in electric contact with the bottom surface of the substrate;a first scintillation layer disposed above the first conducting layer and in radiative contact with the first conducting layer; anda second scintillation layer disposed below the second conducting layer and in radiative contact with the second conducting layer. 2. The device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of spaced-apart three-dimensional elements are integrally formed with the substrate. 3. The device of claim 1, wherein the substrate and the plurality of spaced-apart three-dimensional elements comprise a wide band-gap semiconductor. 4. The device of claim 1, wherein the substrate and the plurality of spaced-apart three-dimensional elements comprise SiC, GaN, Ga2O3, diamond, GaAs, AlN, AlGaN, Al2O3, BN, AlAs, GaP, InP, B4C, or a combination thereof. 5. The device of claim 1, wherein the substrate and the plurality of spaced-apart three-dimensional elements comprise SiC, Ga2O3, diamond, GaN, or Al2O3. 6. The device of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of spaced-apart three-dimensional elements has an average characteristic dimension of from 0.5 micrometers (μm) to 500 μm. 7. The device of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of spaced-apart three-dimensional elements has an average height of from 1 μm to 500 μm. 8. The device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of spaced-apart three-dimensional elements form an array and each of the plurality of spaced-apart three-dimensional elements is separated from its neighboring three-dimensional elements by a distance of from 1 μm to 500 μm (edge to edge). 9. The device of claim 8, wherein the plurality of spaced-apart three-dimensional elements form a rectangular array, a hexagonal array, or a linear array. 10. The device of claim 1, wherein the radioactive layer emits alpha radiation, beta radiation, gamma radiation, or a combination thereof. 11. The device of claim 1, wherein the radioactive layer emits alpha radiation. 12. The device of claim 1, wherein the radioactive layer comprises 148Gd, 238Pu, 208Po, 210Po 243Cm, 244Cm, 241Am, 63Ni, 106Ru, 235U, 204Tl, 14C, 3H, 85Kr, 90Sr, 90Y, 147Pm, 109Gd, or a combination thereof. 13. The device of claim 1, wherein the radioactive layer comprises 241Am. 14. The device of claim 1, wherein the radioactive layer has a thickness of from 0.1 μm to 100 μm. 15. The device of claim 1, wherein the device further comprises: a scintillating material disposed within at least a portion of the plurality of coated cavities; a layer of a scintillating material disposed on the radioactive layer, such that the plurality of coated cavities are substantially coated by the layer of scintillating material; or a combination thereof. 16. The device of claim 15, wherein the scintillating material further performs as an energy degrader. 17. The device of claim 15, wherein the scintillating material comprises a ZnS-based phosphor, Tl:NaI, CsI, cerium-doped lutetium yttrium orthosilicate, bismuth germanate, plastic, CeF3, Eu:CaF2, PbWO4, CdWO4, Ce:Cs2LiYCl6, Ce:LaCl3, CeBr3, Ce:LaBr3, Pr:Lu3Al5O12, Ce:LuAlO3, Ce:Lu3Al5O12, Ce:Y2SiO5, cerium doped yttrium aluminum perovskite, cerium doped yttrium aluminum garnet, or a combination thereof. 18. The device of claim 1, wherein the first conducting layer, the second conducting layer, or a combination thereof comprise(s) a metal. 19. The device of claim 1, wherein the first conducting layer, the second conducting layer, or a combination thereof comprise(s) a metal selected from the group consisting of Al, Ti, Ni, Cu, Ga, Ag, Ir, Pt, Au, Cr, Mo, Pd, W, and combination thereof. 20. The device of claim 1, wherein the first conducting layer, the second conducting layer, or a combination thereof comprise(s) a radioisotope. 21. The device of claim 1, wherein the first conducting layer, the second conducting layer, or a combination thereof comprise(s) 63Ni. 22. The device of claim 1, wherein the first scintillation layer is in physical contact with the first conducting layer. 23. The device of claim 1, wherein the second scintillation layer is in physical contact with the second conducting layer. 24. The device of claim 1, wherein the first scintillation layer, the second scintillation layer, or a combination thereof comprise(s) a scintillating material selected from the group consisting of a ZnS-based phosphor, Tl:NaI, CsI, cerium-doped lutetium yttrium orthosilicate, bismuth germanate, plastic, CeF3, Eu:CaF2, PbWO4, CdWO4, Ce:Cs2LiYCl6, Ce:LaCl3, CeBr3, Ce:LaBr3, Pr:Lu3Al5O12, Ce:LuAlO3, Ce:Lu3Al5O12, Ce:Y2SiO5, cerium doped yttrium aluminum perovskite, cerium doped yttrium aluminum garnet, and combinations thereof. 25. The device of claim 1, wherein the device further comprises a charge storage device electrically coupled to the first conducting layer and the second conducting layer. 26. A charge generating device comprising:a substrate having a top surface and a bottom surface;a plurality of spaced-apart three-dimensional elements disposed on the top surface of the substrate;a plurality of cavities formed by the plurality of spaced-apart three-dimensional elements, the plurality of cavities being the area between the plurality of spaced-apart three-dimensional elements;a radiation material disposed within at least a portion of the plurality of cavities, thereby forming a plurality of at least partially filled cavities;a first conducting layer disposed above the plurality of at least partially filled cavities and the plurality of spaced-apart three-dimensional elements, wherein the first conducting layer is in electric contact with the plurality of spaced-apart three-dimensional elements;a second conducting layer disposed below the substrate, wherein the second conducting layer is in electric contact with the bottom surface of the substrate;a first scintillation layer disposed above the first conducting layer and in radiative contact with the first conducting layer; anda second scintillation layer disposed below the second conducting layer and in radiative contact with the second conducting layer. 27. The device of claim 26, wherein the plurality of spaced-apart three-dimensional elements are integrally formed with the substrate. 28. The device of claim 26, wherein the substrate and the plurality of spaced-apart three-dimensional elements comprise a wide band-gap semiconductor. 29. The device of claim 26, wherein the substrate and the plurality of spaced-apart three-dimensional elements comprise SiC, GaN, Ga2O3, diamond, GaAs, AlN, AlGaN, Al2O3, BN, AlAs, GaP, InP, B4C, or a combination thereof. 30. The device of claim 26, wherein the substrate and the plurality of spaced-apart three-dimensional elements comprise SiC, Ga2O3, diamond, GaN, or Al2O3. 31. The device of claim 26, wherein each of the plurality of spaced-apart three-dimensional elements has an average characteristic dimension of from 0.5 μm to 500 μm. 32. The device of claim 26, wherein each of the plurality of spaced-apart three-dimensional elements has an average height of from 1 μm to 500 μm. 33. The device of claim 26, wherein the plurality of spaced-apart three-dimensional elements form an array and each of the plurality of spaced-apart three-dimensional elements is separated from its neighboring three-dimensional elements by a distance of from 1 μm to 500 μm (edge to edge). 34. The device of claim 33, wherein the plurality of spaced-apart three-dimensional elements form a rectangular array, a hexagonal array, or a linear array. 35. The device of claim 26, wherein the radioactive material emits alpha radiation, beta radiation, gamma radiation, or a combination thereof. 36. The device of claim 26, wherein the radioactive material emits alpha radiation. 37. The device of claim 26, wherein the radioactive material comprises 148Gd, 238Pu, 208Po, 210Po, 243Cm, 244Cm, 241Am, 63Ni, 106Ru, 235U, 204Tl, 14C, 3H, 85Kr, 90Sr, 90Y, 147Pm, 109Gd, or a combination thereof. 38. The device of claim 26, wherein the radioactive material comprises 241Am. 39. The device of claim 26, wherein the first conducting layer, the second conducting layer, or a combination thereof comprise(s) a metal. 40. The device of claim 26, wherein the first conducting layer, the second conducting layer, or a combination thereof comprise(s) a metal selected from the group consisting of Al, Ti, Ni, Cu, Ga, Ag, Ir, Pt, Au, Cr, Mo, Pd, W, and combination thereof. 41. The device of claim 26, wherein the first conducting layer, the second conducting layer, or a combination thereof comprise(s) a radioisotope. 42. The device of claim 26, wherein the first conducting layer, the second conducting layer, or a combination thereof comprise(s) 63Ni. 43. The device of claim 26, wherein the first scintillation layer is in physical contact with the first conducting layer. 44. The device of claim 26, wherein the second scintillation layer is in physical contact with the second conducting layer. 45. The device of claim 26, wherein the first scintillation layer, the second scintillation layer, or a combination thereof comprise(s) a scintillating material selected from the group consisting of a ZnS-based phosphor, Tl:NaI, CsI, cerium-doped lutetium yttrium orthosilicate, bismuth germanate, plastic, CeF3, Eu:CaF2, PbWO4, CdWO4, Ce:Cs2LiYCl6, Ce:LaCl3, CeBr3, Ce:LaBr3, Pr:Lu3Al5O12, Ce:LuAlO3, Ce:Lu3Al5O12, Ce:Y2SiO5, cerium doped yttrium aluminum perovskite, cerium doped yttrium aluminum garnet, and combinations thereof. 46. The device of claim 26, wherein the device further comprises a charge storage device electrically coupled to the first conducting layer and the second conducting layer. 47. A charge generating device comprising:a substrate having a top surface and a bottom surface;a plurality of spaced-apart three-dimensional elements disposed on the top surface of the substrate;a plurality of cavities formed by the plurality of spaced-apart three-dimensional elements, the plurality of cavities being the area between the plurality of spaced-apart three-dimensional elements;a scintillating material disposed within at least a portion of the plurality of cavities, thereby forming a plurality of at least partially filled cavities;a first conducting layer disposed above the plurality of at least partially filled cavities and the plurality of spaced-apart three-dimensional elements, wherein the first conducting layer is in electric contact with the plurality of spaced-apart three-dimensional elements;a second conducting layer disposed below the substrate, wherein the second conducting layer is in electric contact with the bottom surface of the substrate;a first scintillation layer disposed above the first conducting layer and in radiative contact with the first conducting layer; anda second scintillation layer disposed below the second conducting layer and in radiative contact with the second conducting layer. 48. The device of claim 47, wherein the plurality of spaced-apart three-dimensional elements are integrally formed with the substrate. 49. The device of claim 47, wherein the substrate and the plurality of spaced-apart three-dimensional elements comprise a wide band-gap semiconductor. 50. The device of claim 47, wherein the substrate and the plurality of spaced-apart three-dimensional elements comprise SiC, GaN, Ga2O3, diamond, GaAs, AlN, AlGaN, Al2O3, BN, AlAs, GaP, InP, B4C, or a combination thereof. 51. The device of claim 47, wherein the substrate and the plurality of spaced-apart three-dimensional elements comprise SiC, Ga2O3, diamond, GaN, or Al2O3. 52. The device of claim 47, wherein each of the plurality of spaced-apart three-dimensional elements has an average characteristic dimension of from 0.5 μm to 500 μm. 53. The device of claim 47, wherein each of the plurality of spaced-apart three-dimensional elements has an average height of from 1 μm to 500 μm. 54. The device of claim 47, wherein the plurality of spaced-apart three-dimensional elements form an array and each of the plurality of spaced-apart three-dimensional elements is separated from its neighboring three-dimensional elements by a distance of from 1 μm to 500 μm (edge to edge). 55. The device of claim 54, wherein the plurality of spaced-apart three-dimensional elements form a rectangular array, a hexagonal array, or a linear array. 56. The device of claim 47, wherein the device further comprises a radioactive layer disposed on at least a portion of the plurality of spaced-apart three-dimensional elements and the top surface such that the plurality of cavities and the top surface are substantially coated by the radioactive layer, thereby forming a plurality of coated cavities such that the scintillating material is disposed within at least a portion of the plurality of coated cavities. 57. The device of claim 56, wherein the radioactive layer emits alpha radiation, beta radiation, gamma radiation, or a combination thereof. 58. The device of claim 56, wherein the radioactive layer emits alpha radiation. 59. The device of claim 56, wherein the radioactive layer comprises 148Gd, 238Pu, 208Po, 210Po, 243Cm, 244Cm, 241Am, 63Ni, 106Ru, 235U, 204Tl, 14C, 3H, 85Kr, 90Sr, 90Y, 147Pm, 109Gd, or a combination thereof. 60. The device of claim 56, wherein the radioactive layer comprises 241Am. 61. The device of claim 56, wherein the radioactive layer has a thickness of from 0.1 μm to 100 μm. 62. The device of claim 56, wherein the scintillating material is disposed as a layer on the radioactive layer, such that the plurality of coated cavities are coated by the layer of scintillating material. 63. The device of claim 47, wherein the scintillating material comprises a ZnS-based phosphor, Tl:NaI, CsI, cerium-doped lutetium yttrium orthosilicate, bismuth germanate, plastic, CeF3, Eu:CaF2, PbWO4, CdWO4, Ce:Cs2LiYCl6, Ce:LaCl3, CeBr3, Ce:LaBr3, Pr:Lu3Al5O12, Ce:LuAlO3, Ce:Lu3Al5O12, Ce:Y2SiO5, cerium doped yttrium aluminum perovskite, cerium doped yttrium aluminum garnet, or a combination thereof. 64. The device of claim 47, wherein the scintillating material further performs as an energy degrader. 65. The device of claim 47, wherein the first conducting layer, the second conducting layer, or a combination thereof comprise(s) a metal. 66. The device of claim 47, wherein the first conducting layer, the second conducting layer, or a combination thereof comprise(s) a metal selected from the group consisting of Al, Ti, Ni, Cu, Ga, Ag, Ir, Pt, Au, Cr, Mo, Pd, W, and combination thereof. 67. The device of claim 47, wherein the first conducting layer, the second conducting layer, or a combination thereof comprise(s) a radioisotope. 68. The device of claim 47, wherein the first conducting layer, the second conducting layer, or a combination thereof comprise(s) 63Ni. 69. The device of claim 47, wherein the first scintillation layer is in physical contact with the first conducting layer. 70. The device of claim 47, wherein the second scintillation layer is in physical contact with the second conducting layer. 71. The device of claim 47, wherein the first scintillation layer, the second scintillation layer, or a combination thereof comprise(s) a scintillating material selected from the group consisting of a ZnS-based phosphor, Tl:NaI, CsI, cerium-doped lutetium yttrium orthosilicate, bismuth germanate, plastic, CeF3, Eu:CaF2, PbWO4, CdWO4, Ce:Cs2LiYCl6, Ce:LaCl3, CeBr3, Ce:LaBr3, Pr:Lu3Al5O12, Ce:LuAlO3, Ce:Lu3Al5O12, Ce:Y2SiO5, cerium doped yttrium aluminum perovskite, cerium doped yttrium aluminum garnet, and combinations thereof. 72. The device of claim 47, wherein the device further comprises a charge storage device electrically coupled to the first conducting layer and the second conducting layer. 73. A method of making the device of claim 1, the method comprising:forming the plurality of spaced-apart three-dimensional elements on the top surface of the substrate; anddepositing the radioactive layer on at least a portion of the plurality of spaced-apart three-dimensional elements and the top surface such that the plurality of cavities and the top surface are substantially coated by the radioactive layer, thereby forming the plurality of coated cavities. 74. The method of claim 73, wherein the device further comprises a scintillating material disposed within at least a portion of the plurality of coated cavities, the method further comprises depositing the scintillating material within at least a portion of the plurality of coated cavities. 75. A method of making the device of claim 26, the method comprising:forming the plurality of spaced-apart three-dimensional elements on the top surface of the substrate; anddepositing the radioactive material within at least a portion of the plurality of cavities. 76. A method of making the device of claim 47, the method comprising:forming the plurality of spaced-apart three-dimensional elements on the top surface of the substrate; anddepositing the scintillating material within at least a portion of the plurality of cavities.