Air-Breakdown Triboelectric Nanogenerator Inspired by Transistor Architecture for Low-Force Human-Machine Interfaces

Area of Science:

• Triboelectric Nanogenerators (TENGs)
• Human-Machine Interfaces (HMIs)
• Energy Harvesting

Background:

• Conventional tactile TENGs for HMIs face challenges with low surface charge density and unstable output under low contact forces.
• Existing energy harvesters struggle to efficiently convert the human skin's electric field into usable power.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel energy harvester for HMIs that overcomes the limitations of conventional TENGs.
• To propose a transistor-inspired architecture for an air-breakdown TENG (AB-TENG) utilizing human skin's electric field.

Main Methods:

• Designed an AB-TENG with a transistor-inspired architecture and a base terminal for electron collection from human skin.
• Utilized an ionized air channel formed by air breakdown to facilitate electron transfer.
• Investigated two operational modes: indirect (accumulated output) and direct (instant high output).

Main Results:

• The AB-TENG demonstrated efficient conversion of the skin's electric field.
• In direct mode, the device achieved high voltages (165 V at 2 N, 290 V at 24 N) and a peak power of 22 mW, significantly outperforming conventional TENGs.
• Successfully powered an infrared remote control and an ultrathin keyboard, showcasing practical utility.

Conclusions:

• The proposed AB-TENG offers a new design paradigm by functionalizing air breakdown for enhanced energy harvesting.
• This technology advances skin-electricity-enhanced thin-film TENGs for next-generation self-sustaining HMI platforms.
• The AB-TENG provides a promising solution for efficient and stable energy harvesting from human skin.