Development of DLC-TENG System: Durability and Efficiency of Sliding Mode TENG

摘要

Rapid advancements in technological innovations have led to the miniaturization of modern electronics. Consequently, the power requirements for these systems have also diminished considerably. This encouraged several researchers to develop energy-harvesters to scavenge energy from the environment. One such promising technology is the Triboelectric Nanogenerator (TENG) which is based on the principle of contact electrification and electrostatic induction. Since its inception in 2012, TENG has been a significant contributor in sustainable energy harvesting to power smart sensors, IoT's, MEMS and numerous micro/nano systems. However, the durability of sliding-TENG remained as a subject of grave concern considering the high wear, and friction exists between contacting polymer surfaces. Hence it is essential to adopt low friction dielectric materials to encourage the development of durable, and self-sustaining TENG. In this study, we have illustrated the capability of diamond-like carbon (DLC) films as a potential dielectric material for TENG applications. Rotary sliding-TENG was developed to convert sliding motion between triboelectric materials (viz DLC Vs. DLC and DLC Vs. polymer) into electrical energy. Hydrogenated, fluorinated and silicon incorporated DLC films were deposited on the substrate using plasma-based ion implantation and deposition (PBII&D) technique and evaluated for TENG output efficiency. The study suggests that DLC, with its outstanding tribological and mechanical properties, could play a major role in enhancing the durability of the sliding-TENG.