Production of magnetic force driven non-contact nanogenerator and investigation of its properties

This study aimed to produce and investigate the properties of a nanogenerator driven by AC and DC magnetic fields, utilizing ZnO nanowire array as the bottom electrode and two different top electrodes with pyramidal cavity and zig-zag trench architecture. ZnO nanorod-based contactless piezoelectric nanogenerators (C-PENGs) with pyramidal and zig-zag shaped top electrodes were fabricated. ZnO nanorods (NRs) with different aspect ratios were grown on a Si (100) wafer, which acts as the bottom electrode. Two different top electrode architectures, zig-zag trenched and pyramidal cavity, were used. Additionally, different work function metallic coatings, platinum and nickel (as a cheaper alternative to noble metals), were applied to the architecturally shaped surfaces to achieve a Schottky contact between the top and bottom electrodes. A magnetic field ranging from 3.5 Oe to 55 Oe with a frequency range between 0.5 and 2 Hz was applied to drive the nanogenerator. The results showed that a maximum output voltage of 75 mV and a maximum power density of 20.7 pW/cm2 were successfully generated. The measurement of output power densities revealed that the CPENGs is a promising candidate for future nanorobotics applications.