Wireless sensor nodes (WSNs) are the fundamental part of an Internet of Things (IoT) system for detecting and transmitting data to a master node for processing. Several research studies reveal that one of the disadvantages of conventional, battery-powered WSNs, however, is that they typically require periodic maintenance. This paper aims to contribute to existing research studies on this issue by exploring a new energy-autonomous and battery-free WSN concept for monitor vibrations. The node is self-powered from the conversion of ambient mechanical vibration energy into electrical energy through a piezoelectric transducer implemented with lead-free lithium niobate piezoelectric material to also explore solutions that go towards a greener and more sustainable IoT. Instead of implementing any particular sensors, the vibration measurement system exploits the proportionality between the mechanical power generated by a piezoelectric transducer and the time taken to store it as electrical energy in a capacitor. This helps reduce the component count with respect to conventional WSNs, as well as energy consumption and production costs, while optimizing the overall node size and weight. The readout is therefore a function of the time it takes for the energy storage capacitor to charge between two constant voltage levels. The result of this work is a system that includes a specially designed lead-free piezoelectric vibrational transducer and a battery-less sensor platform with Bluetooth low energy (BLE) connectivity. The system can harvest energy in the acceleration range [0.5 g–1.2 g] and measure vibrations with a limit of detection (LoD) of 0.6 g.

Amorphous silicon carbide (a-SiC) is a wide-bandgap semiconductor with high robustness and biocompatibility, making it a promising material for applications in biomedical device passivation. a-SiC thin film deposition has been a subject of research for several decades with a variety of approaches investigated to achieve optimal properties for multiple applications, with an emphasis on properties relevant to biomedical devices in the past decade. This review summarizes the results of many optimization studies, identifying strategies that have been used to achieve desirable film properties and discussing the proposed physical interpretations. In addition, divergent results from studies are contrasted, with attempts to reconcile the results, while areas of uncertainty are highlighted.

Semiconducting nanowires (NWs) are raising a growing interest in nanoelectronic devices. While silicon is the most widely used material in this field, it lacks long-term stability in aqueous solution. The usage of Si must hence be reconsidered for specific applications such as devices operating in biological media with high ionic strength. Silicon carbide is a wide bandgap semiconductor that can efficiently replace Si for applications in harsh environments or high temperature thanks to its high chemical stability and thermal conductivity. Here, we compare the long term stability of Si and SiC NWs under mimicked physiological conditions. The degradation kinetics of both types of NWs was studied from accurate monitoring of their cross-sectional geometry by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) over a period of 4 weeks. Results show a linear dissolution of Si NWs whereas SiC NWs exhibit much slower degradation kinetics confirming the superior chemical stability of SiC nanostructures over Si. After 32 days, NWs with an initial diameter of 20 nm are expected to dissolve completely in the case of Si NWs while SiC NWs would shrink by only 16%.

A new differential method for accurate extraction of electrical parameters of high-electron mobility transistor (HEMT) devices for gallium nitride (GaN) technology is proposed. This method, presented here for the first time, is used to study the mobility degradation with gate length, allowing an analysis of the contribution of the gate edge region to the total metal-insulator semiconductor (MIS)-HEMT device conductance. First, an analytical model is proposed to account for the relative conduction of the edges and the main flat part of the channel HEMTs. Second, the differential method allows the split-CV mobility extraction of each part, allowing a precise analysis of the resistive contribution of each region of the HEMT devices. This study has been performed over a large range of channel lengths for two normally off HEMT GaN wafers having different recess depths.

Vibration energy harvesting based on piezoelectric transducers is an attractive choice to replace single-use batteries in powering Wireless Sensor Nodes (WSNs). As of today, their widespread application is hindered due to low operational bandwidth and the conventional use of lead-based materials. The Restriction of Hazardous Substances legislation (RoHS) implemented in the European Union restricts the use of lead-based piezoelectric materials in future electronic devices. This paper investigates lithium niobate ($LiNb{O}_3$) as a lead-free material for a high-performance broadband Piezoelectric Energy Harvester (PEH). A single-clamped, cantilever beam-based piezoelectric microgenerator with a mechanical footprint of 1 cm², working at a low resonant frequency of 200 Hz, with a high piezoelectric coupling coefficient and broad bandwidth, was designed and microfabricated, and its performance was evaluated. The PEH device, with an acceleration of 1 g delivers a maximum output RMS power of nearly 35 μW/cm² and a peak voltage of 6 V for an optimal load resistance at resonance. Thanks to a high squared piezoelectric electro-mechanical coupling coefficient ($k^2$), the device offers a broadband operating frequency range above 10% of the central frequency. The Mason electro-mechanical equivalent circuit was derived, and a SPICE model of the device was compared with experimental results. Finally, the output voltage of the harvester was rectified to provide a DC output stored on a capacitor, and it was regulated and used to power an IoT node at an acceleration of as low as 0.5 g.