PIEZOELECTRIC NANOGENERATORS BASED ON ZNO

NANOSTRUCTURES

CHE 105
Group 7
Taylor McCullough
Doug Suitt
Leopoldo Torres

Big Picture

Why are nanogenerators important

Future devices at the nanoscale need power
Need environmentally friendly renewable
energy sources
Nature is already producing an enormous
amount of energy essentially wasted

Imagine turning the mechanical enery

produced by walking, heartbeat, blood
flow and random vibrations into energy

Benefits of ZnO

Most diverse and abundant

nanostructures
Very robust material
Biofriendly, biocompatable and non-toxic
Coupled piezoelectric and
semiconducting properties
Large bandgap in the visible range

At The Nanoscale

Much higher Piezoelectric coefficient than

bulk
Higher purity allows for higher strain
Higher aspect ratio
Flexoelectric effect contributes

y.drexel.edu
6/14/thomps

https://www.americanpiezo.c
center/piezo-theory/piezoele
constants.html
http://www.piceramic.com/p
glish.pdf

Piezoelectric Properties

Some needed definitions

Aspect Ratio

Piezoelectric coefficient

Lmajor / Wminor = L/D

d33 = P/ (polarization/stress)

Electromechanical Coupling

K33 = Electric energy out/Mechanical energy in

Self powered

ZnO Nanostructures

Wang, Z. L. Nanostructures of Zinc Oxide. Materials today 2004, 6,

26-33.

More ZnO structures

Wang, Z. L. From nanogenerators to piezotronicsA decade-long

Wang, Z. L. Nanostructures of Zinc Oxide. Materials today 2004, 6, 26-33.

study of ZnO nanostructures. MRS Bulletin, 2012, 37, 814-827

Nanostrucure and
properties

ZnO extremely versatile

Nanowires
Nanorods
Nanobelts
Nanoshells
Nanoring
Nanohelixes
Nanospirals
Nanosprings
Nanobows
Nanopropellers

Wang, Z. L. Zinc oxide nanostructures: growth, properties and applications. J. Phys.: Condens.
Matter 2004, 16, R829R858.

Nanostrucure For Device

Nanowires
W 1-100
nm
AR > 20

Nanorods
W 1-100
nm
AR > 1, <
20

Nanobelts
W 30-300
nm
AR 5-10

Wang, Z. L. Zinc oxide nanostructures: growth, properties and applications. J. Phys.: Condens. Matter 2004, 16,
R829R858.

Which is best?

In nanogenerators we
need:

High voltage
Related to D33 coefficient
Proportional to strain

deflection and 1/AR

High current
Governed by impurities
Controlled by crystal

size/shape

High efficiency
Controlled by device

design

i) The NW/NB can be subjected to

extremely large elastic deformation
without plastic deformation or
fracture.
ii) Due to their small diameter,
NWs/NBs are most likely free of
dislocations, and thus, expected to
have a high resistance to fatigue,
possibly extending the lifetime of the
device.
iii) NWs/NBs can be bent under an
extremely small applied force. This is
unique for harvesting energy created
by weak mechanical disturbance. (
= 1-1000+ HZ)

Zno Crystal structure

ZnO crystal structures

Wurtzite
Rutile
Perovskite
Spinel

Wang, Z. L. ZnO nanowire and nanobelt platform for nanotechnology.

Materials Science and Engineering, 2009, 64, 3371.

Wang, Z. L. From nanogenerators to piezotronicsA decade-long

study of ZnO nanostructures. MRS Bulletin, 2012, 37, 814-827

Clausthal University of Technology. Zinc oxide nanowires for photonic

applications.

Why Wurtzite?

Wurtzite crystal
structure
Unsymmetrical (no
center symmetry)
Charge separation
not balanced
Dipole moment
induced
Potential created

Wang, Z. L. et al. Lateral nanowire/nanobelt based nanogenerators, piezotronics and

piezo-phototronics. Materials Science and Engineering 2010, 70, 320-329.

Piezoelectric Effect

Apply a uniform strain

Distortion of lattice ions
+V on tensile side V on
compressive
Ions cannot move/recombine
Potential exists while strain is

Geng, D, Pook, A, Wang, X. Mapping of strainpiezopotential

relationship along bent zinc oxide microwires. Nano Energy 2013, 2,
1225-1231

Flexoelectricity

Potential due piezoeffect only

Can occur in any material

Inhomogeneous strain

Potential due piezo & flexo

effect

Stress gradient

Large effect at nanoscale

Negligable in bulk
Liu, C, Hu, S, Shen, S. Effect of flexoelectricity on electrostatic potential in a bent
piezoelectric
nanowire. Smart Mater. Struct 2012, 21, 1-12.

Nanogenerator Device

Conductive electrode
substrate (grounded)

Nanowires grown
vertically

Silicon zigzag top

electrode
Zigzag for both
Piezo/flexo effects
Pt coated for metal
-semiconductor shottky
barrier contact

Wang, Z. L. et al. Piezoelectric Nanogenerators for Self-Powered Nanodevices. IEEE Pervasive

computing, 2008, 7, 49-55.
Wang, X. Piezoelectric nanogeneratorsHarvesting ambient mechanical energy at the
nanometer scale. Nano Energy 2012, 1, 13-24.

Accumulation & Releasing

mechanism

Shottky contact with stretched side

Reverse bias diode no current flow
Charge acumulates and is preserved

Contact with both

Forward bias current flows

Wang, Z. L. Towards Self-Powered Nanosystems: From Nanogenerators to

Nanopiezotronics Adv. Funct. Mater. 2008, 18, 35533567

Different Nanowire
configurations

NW 1 & 2

NW 3

Push/deflection from
top electrode
In motion due to
stimulation by
ultrasound wave

NW 4

Direct compression

Getting Higher Current &

Voltage

Wang, Z. L. Towards Self-Powered Nanosystems: From Nanogenerators to Nanopiezotronics Adv. Funct. Mater. 2008, 18, 35533567

Device Performance
Using vertically grown ZnO nanowires they
have developed a nanogenerator capable of
outputing 58V and 134 microamps

References
Wang, Z. L. Nanostructures of Zinc Oxide. Materials today 2004, 6, 26-33.
Wang, Z. L. Zinc oxide nanostructures: growth, properties and applications. J. Phys.: Condens.
Matter 2004, 16, R829R858.
Wang, Z. L. ZnO nanowire and nanobelt platform for nanotechnology. Materials Science and
Engineering, 2009, 64, 3371.
Wang, Z. L. From nanogenerators to piezotronicsA decade-long study of ZnO nanostructures.
MRS Bulletin, 2012, 37, 814-827
Clausthal University of Technology. Zinc oxide nanowires for photonic applications. <
http://www.lac.tu-clausthal.de/en/arbeitsgruppen/angewandte-photonik-lac/projekte/zinc-oxide-nanowires-for-photonic
-applications/
> (Accessed February 27th 2014)
Wang, Z. L. et al. Lateral nanowire/nanobelt based nanogenerators, piezotronics and
piezo-phototronics. Materials Science and Engineering 2010, 70, 320-329.
Geng, D, Pook, A, Wang, X. Mapping of strainpiezopotential relationship along bent zinc oxide
microwires. Nano Energy 2013, 2, 1225-1231
Wang, Z. L. et al. Piezoelectric Nanogenerators for Self-Powered Nanodevices. IEEE Pervasive
computing, 2008, 7, 49-55.
Liu, C, Hu, S, Shen, S. Effect of flexoelectricity on electrostatic potential in a bent piezoelectric
nanowire. Smart Mater. Struct 2012, 21, 1-12.
Jiang, X, Huang, W, Zhang, S. Flexoelectric nano-generator: Materials, structures and devices.
Nano Energy 2013, 2, 1079-1092.
Wang, Z. L, Song, J. H. Piezoelectric Nanogenerators Based on Zinc Oxide Nanowire Arrays.
Science 2006, 312, 242-246.
Wang, X. Piezoelectric nanogeneratorsHarvesting ambient mechanical energy at the
nanometer scale. Nano Energy 2012, 1, 13-24.
Kumar, B, Kim, S. W. Energy harvesting based on semiconducting piezoelectric ZnO
nanostructures. Nano Energy 2012, 1, 342-355.
Environmental Protection Agency. Nanobelts and Nanorods.
<http://www.epa.gov/radiation/docs/cleanup/nanotechnology/chapter-3-nano-belts.pdf> (Accessed February 27th