Enabling technology for high-quality piezoMEMS - ENPIEZO

Project summary

ENPIEZO aims to develop piezoelectric-based energy-harvesting (EH) devices to provide a remote source of electricity from waste vibrations with countless applications. For instance, EH devices can be powered by a heartbeat to operate pace-makers or it can provide electricity for sensors at remote locations like wind-turbine air blades. Fabrication-friendly pulsed-laser deposition of high-quality Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3-PbTiO3 thin films on silicon will be developed, based on the delicate engineering of silicon-oxide interfaces. The study will be performed on laboratory- and industrial-scale systems, the first of its kind in the world, which is believed to result in a breakthrough for the production of EH devices with state-of-the-art performance. In the project, aerosol deposition and environmentally friendly Na0.5Bi0.5TiO3-based piezoelectric alternatives will also be investigated. The project brings together four partners with expertise in a very diverse field of research and development.