Design and realization of a kinetic energy harvester in MEMS silicon technology with its conditioning circuit adapted to an active control

Kinetic Energy Harvester (KEH) are modules that convert part of the work done by mechanical vibrations into electrical energy. They can be used to replace or complement batteries in IoT (Internet of Things) applications or wireless sensor network nodes. They are an alternative to photovoltaic cells or thermoelectric generators when the systems to be powered are small and when vibrations are naturally present in the environment of the targeted application. This converted energy can then power the electronic system of which the KEH is a part. The size of KEHs is typically from a few mm³ to a few cm³, and their moving mass from a few milligrams to a few grams.

The objective of this PhD project is to design, model and realize the core of the vibratory energy recuperator containing the MEMS device and its conditioning circuit.

The work program is as follows:

- Assimilation of the theoretical principles of vibration energy harvesting and the "near-limits" technique

- Design, test, fabrication, and validation of the MEMS device for the “near-limits” energy harvesting

- Design, modeling, and realization of the adiabatic conditioning circuit for the designed and manufactured MEMS transducer.

- Measurement campaign to characterize the MEMS device and the joint operation of the device and the conditioning circuit.

The thesis program includes an important part of experimental activity: electronic prototyping using off-the-shelf components, characterization of MEMS devices, testing and characterization of the whole MEMS system.

The laboratory benefits from its very favorable location for exchanges with academic laboratories and with the R&D of the local industrial cluster. It brings together the former teams of the IEF and the LPN and gathers critical forces on key lines of research. It meets two principal and inseparable objectives:

- To establish a flagship laboratory for research in nanoscience and nanotechnology

- To provide a large technology facility to the Plateau de Saclay and the Ile-de-France region, open to all academic and industrial players in the field, especially those from the Paris region