Energy harvesting using RF MEMS

Abstract

This paper presents a novel technology which provides a promising solution for designing self-powered microsystems. Micro-Electro Mechanical System (MEMS) energy harvesting is an emerging alternative for scavenging energy from natural sources. It has extensive potential in wireless sensor applications to provide a natural energy source that is essentially inexhaustible. It is an increasingly attractive alternative to costly batteries. This essentially free energy source is available maintenance-free throughout the lifetime of the application. Many systems, such as wireless sensor networks, portable electronics and cell phones, can use this technology as a power source. Although some types of MEMS, such as electro-magnetic MEMS, electrostatic MEMS, and piezoelectric MEMS, are used to provide energy in various applications, they have several technical barriers that limit their applications, including low efficiency, issues of scaling, and high cost. Our novel MEMS solar energy harvesting technology is scalable and also easily integrated in microsystems. The RF MEMS design not only has to provide functional efficiency, but also must work within the limits of maximum charge and discharge conversion efficiency. The energy harvesting technologies currently available which utilizes RF MEMS to convert solar energy into charge, can achieve better benefits than photovoltaic cells. In this paper we provide design, fabrication, testing and evaluation of RF MEMS and its working limits in charging and discharging.