Autonomous, Low Voltage, High Efficiency, CMOS Rectifier for Three-Phase Micro Generators

The paper reports on the design, fabrication and testing of a fully integrated, low voltage rectifier for three-phase micro-generators. Focus is applied to the design of a stand-alone rectifier for three-phase AC inputs in the range of 1-3.3 V, 5-500 mA at 10-100 kHz. Specific low powering issues such as low-voltage rectification, self-powering, automatic start-up and anti-parasitic protection are clearly presented. These issues have been solved thanks to original designs and concepts realized using CMOS 0.35 μm technology. The measurements on the fabricated mu-rectifier coupled to a three-phase micro-generator indicate its full functionality and high conversion efficiency, up to 90%.