Parametric analysis and design guidelines of RF-to-DC Dickson charge pumps for RFID energy harvesting

This paper presents the effects of design parameters on output efficiency and input impedance of RF-to-DC Dick-son charge pumps by varying input parameters in simulation. Diode parasitics and input impedance mismatch between the charge pump and antenna are found to significantly decrease the effectiveness of charge pumps, while stage capacitance size appears to have little effect on efficiency. Off-the-shelf diodes are also compared through simulation to find which diodes perform best at each ISM frequency band and various power levels. The investigation is summarized by guidelines to assist designers in developing efficient RF-to-DC Dickson charge pumps as well as concluding with a design methodology.