Simulations, fabrication, and characterization of d31 mode piezoelectric vibration energy harvester

This paper presents the development work on d(31) mode piezoelectric vibration energy harvester. The device structure consists of a fixed-free type cantilever beam with a seismic mass attached at the free end of the beam. On top of the cantilever beam, a ZnO piezoelectric layer is sandwiched between two metal electrodes. The harvester is designed using an FEM tool CoventorWare. The simulations are carried out to estimate the resonance frequency, mises stress, optimal load resistance, and generated power. The optimized design is then implemented using a five mask SOI bulk micromachining process. The fabricated harvester is characterized for frequency response using Polytec MSA-500 Micro System Analyzer. The experimental resonance frequency is found to be 235.38 Hz. The harvester is also evaluated for generated open-circuit voltage when subjected to harmonic acceleration. The open-circuit peak-to-peak voltage for 0.1 g acceleration is found to be 306 mV.