An RF energy harvester system using UHF micropower CMOS rectifier based on a diode connected CMOS transistor

Area of Science:

• Electrical Engineering
• Microelectronics
• Energy Harvesting

Background:

• Conventional CMOS rectifiers in RF energy harvesters suffer from performance limitations.
• Wireless sensor networks require efficient power solutions for sustained operation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To enhance the performance of CMOS rectifiers for RF energy harvesting systems.
• To improve the efficiency and output characteristics of rectifiers used in wireless sensor networks.

Main Methods:

• A novel diode-connected MOSFET with a modified bulk connection was designed and integrated into a rectifier circuit.
• The rectifier circuit was designed using 0.18 μm TSMC CMOS technology.
• A matching network was incorporated to optimize rectifier sensitivity and performance.

Main Results:

• The proposed diode-connected MOSFET design reduced threshold voltage and leakage current.
• The rectifier circuit demonstrated an 18.2% improvement in efficiency.
• An increase in the sensitivity of the RF energy harvester circuit was observed.

Conclusions:

• The novel diode-connected MOSFET significantly improves CMOS rectifier performance for RF energy harvesting.
• The optimized rectifier design offers enhanced efficiency and sensitivity, benefiting wireless sensor network applications.