MEMs-based cantilever energy harvester

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9388041-B2
Application number	US-201314094590-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 2, 2013
Priority date	Nov 18, 2011
Publication date	Jul 12, 2016
Grant date	Jul 12, 2016

Abstract

The claimed invention is directed to integrated energy-harvesting piezoelectric cantilevers. The cantilevers are fabricated using sol-gel processing using a sacrificial poly-Si seeding layer. Improvements in film microstructure and electrical properties are realized by introducing a poly-Si seeding layer and by optimizing the poling process.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for fabricating a piezoelectric energy harvester comprising:
placing a polysilicon layer on top of a silicon substrate;
sputtering a barrier layer on top of the substrate;
treating the substrate by thermal treatment;
depositing a template layer using the sol-gel process;
thermally treating the deposited template layer;
depositing a piezoelectric layer;
thermally treating the piezoelectric layer; and
subjecting the deposited layers to an etching process.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising a poling step.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the poling step is carried out at 200 kV.cm −1 for 50 min at a temperature 250° C.

Assignees

• Univ Texas
• Texas Micropower Inc
• Texas Micropower Inc

Inventors

• Fuentes-Fernandez Erika
• Shah Pradeep
• Mechtaly-Debray Wardia
• Gnade Bruce E

Classifications

• H01L41/332

  Electricity · mapped topic

• B81C1/00388

  Etch mask forming · CPC title

• B81C1/00539 Primary

  Wet etching · CPC title

• H01L41/1136

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H02N2/181

  Circuits; Control arrangements or methods · CPC title