Self-powered discharge-based wireless transmitter

We demonstrate a self-powered tunable wireless RF transmitter by utilizing discharge events in nickel-63 radioisotope actuated reciprocating AIN-Si unimorph microcantilevers. The nickel-63 thin-film discharge by the reciprocating microcantilevers results in periodic generation of 264 MHz wireless signals detectable up to 3.6 meters (limited by room size). Furthermore, the wireless RF signal frequency can be tuned by as much as 3.44 MHz by varying stressing the unimorph by applied voltage bias across the A1N thin-film. This frequency tunability can be used to realize self-powered wireless RF sensors beacons to convey information between wireless sensor and RFID nodes. The resulting self-powered wireless sensors can function autonomously for decades enabling long-term monitoring of structural and environmental health in remote places.