Ultra-high performance and environment-friendly micro-energy harvesters towards self-powered micro/nano-systems for the Internet of Things

2021 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 20K15146
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 28050:Nano/micro-systems-related
• Research Institution: Tohoku University
• Principal Investigator: LE VANMINH 東北大学, 未来科学技術共同研究センター, 助教 (60765098)
• Project Period (FY): 2020-04-01 – 2022-03-31
• Keywords: Micro-energy harvesters / piezoelectric thin film / piezoelectric device / aluminum nitride / nitride piezoelectricity / MEMS / Power MEMS / doped AlN

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This research aims to integrate novel high-power-figure-of-merit (FoM) lead-free AlN-based piezoelectric films and nonlinear-operating architecture to create ultra-high performance and environment-friendly micro-energy harvesters. The project’s results can be summarized: (1) Non-rare-earth TaMg-doped AlN thin films: By doping Ta and (Ta, Mg) into AlN wurtzite unit cell, the doped AlN films possessed higher FoM compared with the pure AlN; (2) Microfabrication of the developed AlN-based piezoelectric thin films for making the micro-devices; (3) High-performance (Ta, Mg) doped AlN energy harvesters with ultra-wide bandwidth operation were successfully developed with the doubly clamped doped-AlN/Si structures.

Free Research Field

Nano/Microsystems

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

I proposed and successfully demonstrated novel high-performance micro-energy harvesters exploiting codoped AlN films and nonlinear device structure. The high-power density and ultra-wide bandwidth EHs will open a new door for compact self-powered wireless sensor nodes toward the Internet of Things