RF-recharged microbattery for powering miniature sensors

A novel power source for miniature sensors, comprising an RF-recharged microbattery is presented. The microbattery comprises a silicon wafer-fabricated aqueous Ni-Zn microbattery that is capable of delivering /spl sim/10 mA for a few seconds. In this paper, we present charge/discharge test results on the microbattery itself and details of the RF charger circuit design and experimental test results on fabricated RF charger boards. Finally, we present test results on a sensor platform comprising an Analog Devices MEMS accelerometer, a microchip microcontroller, and an RF transmitter, all powered by the RF recharged microbattery.