Micro sensor-actuador térmico sin baterías para aplicaciones en microelectrónica de ultra-bajo consumo de potencia

Abstract

As an alternative to electrically driven thermal actuators, this work presents a sensor/actuator device that can be operated with an external heat source and, for example, scavenge heat from the surrounding medium. The device herein presented is ideal for ultra-low power and portable applications as it eliminates the need for batteries. The mechanism was implemented using a standard micro-electro-mechanical-systems (MEMS) fabrication process. Experimental results demonstrate the viability of exploiting thermal energy from the environment to power MEMS sensor/actuator devices. Finally, examples of potential applications are also discussed including the design of a fully monolithic temperature sensing system that integrates the MEMS thermal device with CMOS circuitry in a single microchip.