Development of self-powered physiological sensor based on flexible thermoelectric generator

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 20K21886
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Research (Exploratory)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Medium-sized Section 90:Biomedical engineering and related fields
• Research Institution: Shizuoka University
• Principal Investigator: Ikeda Hiroya 静岡大学, 電子工学研究所, 教授 (00262882)
• Project Period (FY): 2020-07-30 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: 生体情報センサ / 熱電変換 / フレキシブルデバイス / 酸化亜鉛 / ナノ結晶 / マイクロ波支援ソルボサーマル合成法

Outline of Final Research Achievements

By microwave-assisted solvothermal synthesis, we successfully formed ZnO nanorods on NiCu fabric surface densely and vertically, with a much shorter time comparing to conventional solvothermal synthesis. We can also control the nanorod length.
We measured the output power properties under a temperature gradienat for a flexible thermoelectric generator consisting of three kinds of coductive fabrics. By tuning the contact structure between the different fabrics, we successfully lowered the electrical contact resistance, which leads to reduction of the internal resistance in the generator.
Using thermocouples and capacitors, we simulated the sensing and amplifying functions of thermoelectric generator. Periodic waves were observed at the thermocouple terminals through the capaciors. In addition, it was found that the amplitude of signal increases with increasing the number of thermocouples.

Free Research Field

半導体デバイス工学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究にて，熱電対とコンデンサを用いた模擬実験ではあるものの，熱電発電デバイス構造を使って増幅機能を持つセンシングの可能性を示すことができたことは，新しい自己発電型センサ構造への展開が期待できる意味でも大きな成果である．その基盤となるフレキシブル熱電材料の性能向上の観点から，長尺の酸化亜鉛ナノロッドを垂直かつ密に，短時間で形成する手法を確立したことは，生体センサへの応用のみならず，エナジーハーベスターとしてカーボンニュートラル社会の実現に向けても非常に意義がある．