A Low Forward Bias Active Diode Circuit for Electrostatic Energy Harvesters

This paper presents a MOS active diode circuit that is suitable for energy harvesting applications. The proposed active diode has a minimized reverse leakage and achieves a low forward voltage. The design is implemented and simulated in TSMC 65 nm CMOS technology. Compared to the diode-connected MOS transistor, which has a forward voltage around 300 to 400 mV, the proposed diode demonstrates a near zero forward voltage with minimum supply voltage. The application of the proposed design is demonstrated through a regenerative energy harvester, and the performance is simulated and compared with measurement results from a harvester with regular diodes.