IPC분류정보
국가/구분 |
United States(US) Patent
등록
|
국제특허분류(IPC7판) |
|
출원번호 |
US-0143015
(2016-04-29)
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등록번호 |
US-10250163
(2019-04-02)
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발명자
/ 주소 |
- Loi, Sara
- Pagani, Alberto
|
출원인 / 주소 |
- STMicroelectronics S.r.l.
|
대리인 / 주소 |
|
인용정보 |
피인용 횟수 :
0 인용 특허 :
3 |
초록
▼
An inverse electrowetting harvesting and scavenging circuit includes a first substrate having first and second surfaces. An electrode is formed proximate the first surface and includes an insulating layer covering a surface of the electrode. An electromechanical systems device includes a moveable ma
An inverse electrowetting harvesting and scavenging circuit includes a first substrate having first and second surfaces. An electrode is formed proximate the first surface and includes an insulating layer covering a surface of the electrode. An electromechanical systems device includes a moveable mass extending over the first surface of the first substrate that may be displaced relative to the first substrate in three dimensions responsive to external forces applied to the moveable mass. The movable mass includes a moveable electrode and a conductive fluid is positioned between the insulating layer of the electrode and the movable electrode. Energy harvesting and scavenging circuitry is electrically coupled to the moveable electrode and the other electrode and is configured to provide electrical energy responsive to electrical energy generated by the moveable electrode, conductive fluid and the electrode through the reverse electrowetting phenomena due to movement of the moveable electrode relative to the electrode and to the conductive fluid on top of the electrode.
대표청구항
▼
1. An inverse electrowetting harvesting and scavenging circuit, comprising: a first substrate having a first surface and a second surface;an electrode formed proximate the first surface, the electrode including a first insulating layer covering a surface of the electrode;an electromechanical systems
1. An inverse electrowetting harvesting and scavenging circuit, comprising: a first substrate having a first surface and a second surface;an electrode formed proximate the first surface, the electrode including a first insulating layer covering a surface of the electrode;an electromechanical systems device including a moveable mass that extends over the first surface of the first substrate and may be displaced relative to the first substrate in three dimensions responsive to an external force applied to the moveable mass;a moveable electrode formed on the moveable mass;a conductive fluid positioned between the insulating layer covering the electrode and the movable electrode; andenergy harvesting and scavenging circuitry electrically coupled to the moveable electrode and the electrode, the energy harvesting and scavenging circuitry configured to provide electrical energy responsive to electrical energy generated by the moveable electrode, the conductive fluid and the electrode through reverse electrowetting due to movement of the moveable electrode relative to the electrode and to the conductive fluid on top of the electrode. 2. The inverse electrowetting harvesting and scavenging circuit of claim 1, where in the electromechanical systems device comprises a microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) device. 3. The inverse electrowetting harvesting and scavenging circuit of claim 2, wherein the MEMS device further comprises a packaging structure that is coupled to the first surface of the first substrate and defines an internal cavity that houses the moveable mass, the MEMS device further including a supporting structure coupled between the packaging structure and the moveable mass to moveably suspend the moveable mass within the internal cavity. 4. The inverse electrowetting harvesting and scavenging circuit of claim 3, wherein the supporting structure comprises a plurality of arms, each arm coupled between the packaging structure and the moveable mass. 5. The inverse electrowetting harvesting and scavenging circuit of claim 4 further comprising an additional frame structure, each arm coupled to the additional frame structure and the additional frame structure coupled through resilient arms to the packaging structure. 6. The inverse electrowetting harvesting and scavenging circuit of claim 5 further comprising vertical spacers coupled to the additional frame structure to compensate for planarity errors between the movable mass and the electrode. 7. The inverse electrowetting harvesting and scavenging circuit of claim 1, wherein the electrode comprises and interdigitated electrode having a horizontal plate with vertical projections extending from a surface of the horizontal plate towards the moveable electrode, the first insulating layer covering the surface of the horizontal plate and surfaces of the vertical projections. 8. The inverse electrowetting harvesting and scavenging circuit of claim 1, wherein the moveable electrode comprises and, interdigitated electrode having a horizontal plate with vertical projections extending from a surface of the horizontal plate towards the moveable electrode, the first insulating layer covering the surface of the horizontal plate and surfaces of the vertical projections; andwherein the electrode comprises a segmented electrode including a plurality of electrode segments, each electrode segment including a vertical projection extending towards the moveable electrode and the vertical projections of the plurality of electrode segments being interdigitated with the vertical projections of the moveable electrode. 9. The inverse electrowetting harvesting and scavenging circuit of claim 8, wherein each of the electrode segments comprises: first and second L-shaped electrodes, each L-shaped electrode including a horizontal portion and a vertical portion, a first vertical insulating layer being positioned between the vertical-portions of the L-shaped electrodes to electrically isolate the two L-shaped electrodes;a second insulating layer formed over surfaces of the L-shaped electrodes and an upper edge surface of the vertical insulating layer;a second vertical insulating layer on the ends of the horizontal portions of each L-shaped electrode to electrically isolate each of the L-shaped electrodes from an adjacent L-shaped electrode. 10. An inverse electrowetting harvesting and scavenging circuit, comprising: a first substrate having a first surface and a second surface;an electrode formed proximate the first surface, the electrode including a first insulating layer covering a surface of the electrode;an electromechanical systems device including a moveable mass that extends over the first surface of the first substrate and may be displaced relative to the first substrate in three dimensions responsive to an external force applied to the moveable mass;a moveable electrode formed on the moveable mass;a conductive fluid positioned between the insulating layer covering the electrode and the movable electrode; andenergy harvesting and scavenging circuitry electrically coupled to the moveable electrode and the electrode, the energy harvesting and scavenging circuitry configured to provide electrical energy responsive to electrical energy generated by the moveable electrode, the conductive fluid and the electrode through reverse electrowetting due to movement of the moveable electrode relative to the electrode and to the conductive fluid on top of the electrode;wherein the moveable electrode comprises a segmented electrode including a plurality of electrode segments, each electrode segment including a vertical projection extending towards the electrode; andwherein the electrode comprises a segmented electrode including a plurality of electrode segments, each electrode segment including a vertical projection extending towards the moveable electrode and the vertical projections of the plurality of electrode segments of the electrode being interdigitated with the vertical projections of the moveable electrode to generate a plurality of harvested voltages across respective groups of segmented electrodes. 11. The inverse electrowetting harvesting and scavenging circuit of claim 10, wherein each of the electrode segments comprises: first and second L-shaped electrodes, each L-shaped electrode including a horizontal portion and a vertical portion, a first vertical insulating layer being positioned between the vertical-portions of the L-shaped electrodes to electrically isolate the two L-shaped electrodes;a second insulating layer formed over surfaces of the L-shaped electrodes and an upper edge surface of the vertical insulating layer;a second vertical insulating layer on the ends of the horizontal portions of each L-shaped electrode to electrically isolate each of the L-shaped electrodes from an adjacent L-shaped electrode. 12. The inverse electrowetting harvesting and scavenging circuit of claim 1, wherein the electrode comprises an interdigitated electrode having a horizontal plate with groups of vertical projections extending from a surface of the horizontal plate towards the moveable electrode, the first insulating layer covering surfaces of the vertical projections and at least portions of the surface of the horizontal plate; andwherein the moveable electrode comprises a horizontal plate with a plurality of fluid confinement projections extending from the horizontal plate towards the electrode, where respective ones of the groups of vertical projections are positioned between adjacent fluid confinement projections. 13. The inverse electrowetting harvesting and scavenging circuit of claim 12, wherein each of the fluid confinement projections has a surface that is covered by an insulating layer. 14. The inverse electrowetting harvesting and scavenging circuit of claim 1, wherein the energy harvesting and scavenging circuitry is formed in the first substrate. 15. The inverse electrowetting harvesting and scavenging circuit of claim 1, wherein the energy harvesting and scavenging circuitry is formed external to the first substrate and is electrically coupled to the first substrate. 16. The inverse electrowetting harvesting and scavenging circuit of claim 1 further comprising a first semiconductor chip including the first substrate. 17. The inverse electrowetting harvesting and scavenging circuit of claim 16, wherein the first semiconductor chip comprises a structural layer formed on the first substrate and wherein the electrode is formed in the structural layer. 18. The inverse electrowetting harvesting and scavenging circuit of claim 1, wherein the moveable mass comprises a support layer and the moveable electrode is attached to the support layer. 19. An inverse electrowetting harvesting and scavenging circuit, comprising: a first substrate having a first surface and a second surface;a first electrode formed proximate the first surface, the electrode including a first insulating layer covering a surface of the electrode;an electromechanical systems device including a moveable mass that extends over the first surface of the first substrate and may be displaced relative to the first substrate in three dimensions responsive to an external force applied to the moveable mass;a moveable electrode formed on the moveable mass;a conductive fluid positioned between the insulating layer covering the first electrode and the movable electrode; anda first energy harvesting and scavenging circuit electrically coupled to the moveable electrode and the electrode, the first energy harvesting and scavenging circuit configured to provide electrical energy responsive to electrical energy generated by the moveable electrode the conductive fluid and the first electrode through reverse electrowetting due to movement of the moveable electrode relative to the first electrode and to the conductive fluid on top of the electrode;an electrode array including a plurality of electrodes including the first electrode;a plurality of energy harvesting and scavenging circuits coupled to the electrode array, the plurality of energy harvesting and scavenging circuits including the first energy harvesting and scavenging circuit;a motion sensor configured to generate a signal indicating a direction of movement of the moveable mass;a motion sensor circuit coupled to the motion sensor and configured to detect the direction of movement of the moveable mass based on the signal from the motion sensor; anda power generation management circuit coupled to the motion sensor circuit and the plurality of energy harvesting and scavenging circuits, the power generation management circuit configured to control the plurality of energy harvesting and scavenging circuits based on the detected direction of the moveable mass to thereby capture generated electrical energy from selected electrodes and the moveable electrode. 20. The inverse electrowetting harvesting and scavenging circuit of claim 19, wherein the motion sensor comprises at least one of the electrodes in the electrode array and the moveable electrode. 21. The inverse electrowetting harvesting and scavenging circuit of claim 1 further comprising a FAMOS transistor 1200 that provides a biasing voltage across the electrode and the moveable electrode.
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