MEMS Power Generation Design

The trend in technology today is decreasing the size of electronic devices while increasing their efficiency and performance. Inventing Complementary Metal–Oxide–Semiconductor (CMOS) technology was one of the main headways to miniaturize integrated circuits. Nonetheless, it seems that this technology is saturating. Micro Electro Mechanical Systems (MEMS) technology, on the other hand, is a newly developed technology that has many advantages, and in some cases, is a complementary method for CMOS technology. By combining MEMS with the transistor scaling predicted by Moore's Law, entirely new microsystems can be created which make it possible to squeeze more functionality into a smaller footprint. The advancement in electronic technologies have significantly reduced the power consumption of electronic devices[1, 2] This advancement has created a need for micro-generators because of their small size and long life time compared to batteries[3]. Motion-driven micro-generators are especially popular due to the abundance of vibrations as an ambient natural source [1]. There are two different transduction mechanisms that can bush to convert motion into electrical energy: electromagnetic, which induces current flow from a magnetic field, and electrostatic, which use a variable capacitor structure or piezoelectric materials.

Figure 1: Micro-Power Generator