ELECTRIC POWER DEVICE, ELECTRIC POWER GENERATION METHOD, AND PRODUCTION METHOD OF ELECTRIC POWER DEVICE

• US 20100295419A1
• Filed: 12/18/2009
• Published: 11/25/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Empire Technology Development LLC (Allied Inventors Management, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Empire Technology Development LLC (Allied Inventors Management, LLC)
• Inventors: FUJII, Yasuhisa
• Granted Patent: US 8,736,146 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 310/339
• CPC Class Codes: H02N 2/188 adapted for resonant operation
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 30/082 by etching, e.g. lithography
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 30/306 Cantilevers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/42 Piezoelectric device making

Abstract

There is provided a new self-generating electric power device using a piezoelectric element. An electric power device includes: a resonant portion that is secured at least at one end, receives waves propagating through a space or a medium and resonates; a piezoelectric element that is formed to connect to the resonant portion, and generates a voltage according to resonance of the resonant portion; and a first electrode and a second electrode that are formed on opposite surfaces of the piezoelectric element, and output the generated voltage.

Claims

1. An electric power device comprising:

a resonant portion that is secured at least at one end, receives waves propagating through a space or a medium and resonates;

a piezoelectric element that is formed to connect to said resonant portion, and generates a voltage according to resonance of said resonant portion; and

a first electrode and a second electrode that are formed on opposite surfaces of said piezoelectric element, and output said generated voltage.

2. The electric power device according to claim 1, wherein said resonant portion includes a plurality of resonant bodies.

3. The electric power device according to claim 2, wherein said plurality of resonant bodies include at least two resonant bodies having different resonance frequencies.

4. The electric power device according to claim 2, wherein said plurality of resonant bodies are arranged in parallel.

5. The electric power device according to claim 2, wherein said plurality of resonant bodies are arranged concentrically.

6. The electric power device according to claim 1, wherein said resonant portion is a cantilever having one end secured and the other end that is a free end.

7. A system comprising:

an electric power device according to claim 1; and

a load device to which electric power generated by said electric power device is supplied.

8. A system comprising:

an electric power device according to claim 1; and

a frequency generation device configured to generate waves having a particular frequency component toward a resonant portion included in said electric power device.

9. An electric power generation method comprising:

a resonant portion secured at least at one end receiving waves propagating through a space or a medium and resonates;

a piezoelectric element formed to connect to said resonant portion generating a voltage according to resonance of said resonant portion; and

a first electrode and a second electrode formed on opposite surfaces of said piezoelectric element outputting said generated voltage.

10. A production method of an electric power device including:

a resonant portion that is secured at least at one end, receives waves propagating through a space or a medium and resonates;

a piezoelectric element that is formed to connect to said resonant portion, and generates a voltage according to resonance of said resonant portion; and

a first electrode and a second electrode that are formed on opposite surfaces of said piezoelectric element, and output said generated voltage, the method comprising;

forming a semiconductor substrate layer so as to match a shape of a resonant portion secured at least at one end;

forming a first electrode layer at least in a region forming said resonant portion on said semiconductor substrate layer;

forming a piezoelectric element layer in a region forming said resonant portion on said first electrode layer;

forming a second electrode layer in a region forming said resonant portion on said piezoelectric element layer; and

forming said semiconductor substrate layer so as to match a shape of a support portion that secures one end of said resonant portion.