Recent progress in MEMS electret generator for energy harvesting

TLDR

Energy harvesting captures ambient energy and converts it to electricity for low‑power electronics, with structural vibration seen as a promising source for powering wireless sensors and structural health monitoring. The paper reviews recent advances in MEMS electret generators. It discusses electret materials and charging technologies used in these generators. © 2011 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan; Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Abstract

Abstract Energy harvesting is a method by which energy naturally present in the environment is captured and then converted into electricity for use in low‐power electronics. Among the various energy sources, structural vibration is believed to be useful for powering wireless sensors in various applications such as sensor network and structural health monitoring. In the present paper, after a brief introduction to electret materials and charging technologies, recent progress in microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) electret generators is reviewed. © 2011 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.