Low-frequency and ultra-wideband MEMS electrostatic vibration energy harvester powering an autonomous wireless temperature sensor node

We report a 1-cm2 ultra-wideband MEMS electrostatic vibration energy harvester (e-VEH) that combines a frequency-up conversion system with a vertical electret layer obtained by corona discharge. At 2.0 grms, the device can harvest more than 1 μW from 59 to 148 Hz, and more than 0.5 μW from 14 to 152 Hz. Thanks to this new device, we demonstrate the self-starting power supply of an energy autonomous temperature sensor node with a data transmission beyond a distance of 10 m at 868 MHz.