Self-powered triboelectric MEMS accelerometer

A self-powered triboelectric accelerometer miniaturized to the micro-scale is presented. This micro triboelectric accelerometer (MTEA) was fabricated using CMOS-compatible processes. The design followed the triboelectric nanogenerators made in meso-scale and operates in the contact-separation mode. The scaled-down, multilayer design enabled fabrication using microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) technology. The MTEA was made using an aluminum and polyimide triboelectric pair that generated charges on the contact. A square movable plate that is 2 mm x 2 mm was fabricated with 1 mu m thickness. Then, the fabricated MTEA was excited by a mini-shaker at known frequencies (0.1-7 kHz) and accelerations (1-10 g), and the output was recorded. The output was 0.7 V at the resonance frequency (700 Hz). The generated voltage has a linear relationship with the acceleration with a maximum sensitivity of 70 mV/g at the 700 Hz excitation frequency.

Automated summary

A self-powered triboelectric accelerometer in micro scale was developed using CMOS-compatible processes and triboelectric nanogenerator technology. The device operates in contact-separation mode and was fabricated using MEMS technology with a multi-layer design. An aluminum and polyimide triboelectric pair was used, generating charges on contact. The output voltage of the fabricated accelerometer linearly correlates with acceleration, with a maximum sensitivity of 70 mV/g at 700 Hz excitation frequency.