Li Yahui, Ren Han, Hu Zhiyuan, Hu Zhifeng, Wang Jiaxiang, Zhang Mingyu, Yu Yangtao, Chen Sicheng, Wang Zhong Lin, Yang Zhuoqing
National Key Laboratory of Advanced Micro and Nano Manufacture Technology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China.
School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, 639798, Singapore.
Adv Mater. 2025 Aug;37(33):e2504902. doi: 10.1002/adma.202504902. Epub 2025 Jun 8.
Using water droplets to generate electricity is an attractive approach for addressing the energy crisis. However, achieving high charge transfer and power output in such systems remains a major challenge. Here, a tribovoltaic nanogenerator (TVNG) is developed based on a specially designed Schottky metal-semiconductor-metal (MSM) structure. This device is capable of efficiently converting the kinetic energy of water droplets into electricity. To improve performance, a patterned interface layer between the metal and semiconductor is introduced, which helps guide charge flow and control surface conductivity. Upon droplet impact, the mechanical friction between the liquid and the surface generates a potential that activates charge transport across the Schottky barrier. This breaks the equilibrium state and enhances carrier movement. As a result, the device achieves a record-high charge output of 25500 nC from a single droplet, along with an output energy of 5.8 × 10⁻⁶ J. To showcase scalability, a TVNG module with 60 cells on a 3-inch wafer delivers milliamp-level current and charges a 220 µF capacitor to 0.6 V within 2 s. The effects of processing, materials, structure, and droplet properties are studied to guide the future design of high-efficiency Schottky MSM-based TVNG.
利用水滴发电是应对能源危机的一种颇具吸引力的方法。然而，在这类系统中实现高电荷转移和高功率输出仍然是一项重大挑战。在此，基于一种特别设计的肖特基金属 - 半导体 - 金属（MSM）结构开发了一种摩擦电纳米发电机（TVNG）。该装置能够有效地将水滴的动能转化为电能。为了提高性能，在金属和半导体之间引入了图案化的界面层，这有助于引导电荷流动并控制表面电导率。水滴撞击时，液体与表面之间的机械摩擦会产生一个电位，该电位会激活电荷穿过肖特基势垒的传输。这打破了平衡状态并增强了载流子的移动。结果，该装置从单个水滴获得了创纪录的25500 nC电荷输出，以及5.8×10⁻⁶ J的输出能量。为了展示可扩展性，一个在3英寸晶圆上具有60个单元的TVNG模块可提供毫安级电流，并在2秒内将一个220 µF的电容器充电至0.6 V。研究了加工、材料、结构和水滴特性的影响，以指导未来基于肖特基MSM的高效TVNG的设计。
