Wind Driven Semiconductor Electricity Generator With High Direct Current Output Based On a Dynamic Schottky Junction

TL;DR

This paper introduces a wind-driven semiconductor generator based on a dynamic Schottky junction that produces a high, stable direct current suitable for powering distributed sensors, surpassing previous metal/semiconductor devices in output.

Contribution

The study presents a novel wind-powered generator with significantly higher output current and demonstrates its application in sensor powering and UV photodetection.

Findings

Output current of 4.4 mA on average, up to 8.4 mA.

Output current is 1000 times higher than previous metal/semiconductor generators.

Successfully powers sensors and UV photodetectors.

Abstract

As the fast development of internet of things (IoTs), distributed sensors have been frequently used and the small and portable power sources are highly demanded. However, the present portable power source such as lithium battery has low capacity and need to be replaced or recharged frequently. A portable power source which can continuously generate electrical power in situ will be an idea solution. Herein, we demonstrate a wind driven semiconductor electricity generator based on a dynamic Schottky junction, which can output a continuous direct current with an average value of 4.4 mA (the maximum value of 8.4 mA) over 360 seconds. Compared with the previous metal/semiconductor generator, the output current is one thousand times higher. Furthermore, this wind driven generator has been explored to function as a turn counter due to its stable output and also to drive a graphene ultraviolet photodetector, which shows a responsivity of 35.8 A/W under the 365 nm ultraviolet light. Our research provides a feasible method to achieve wind power generation and power supply for distributed sensors in the future.