Development of electret-based vibrational energy generators composed of polar molecules

Abstract

Electret-based vibrational energy generators (E-VEGs) have attracted much attention because they can generate electrical power from ambient vibrations. Generally, a charging process such as corona discharge is necessary to make electret from dielectric materials, limiting device productivity. Recently, we realized E-VEGs that do not require any charging process by utilizing self-assembled electret (SAE). The surface charge and potential of the SAE appear owing to spontaneous orientation of polar organic molecules. In this talk, we discuss the operation mechanism of SAE-based VEGs and fabrication conditions for an increased surface charge. We believe that the realization of SAE-VEGs will open up novel ways for supplying electrical energy to various devices.