AlN based microgenerators for powering implantable sensor devices

In this work we report on microstructures made of AlN for the use as piezoelectric microgenerators in energy harvesting applications. Experimental results on the mechanical and piezoelectrical properties of sputtered AlN thin films deposited on Si(001) substrates as well as results on vibrometry of fabricated microcantilevers are presented. It is shown that due to the constant d33 piezo coefficients of > 5 pm/V, AlN films are well suited for the integration in cantilever structures for powering of low-consumption sensor networks.