Description

This issue of Microelectronics TOE covers recent advancements in charging technologies for smart devices and provides insights on IP, growth drivers, adoption barriers, and target applications. Innovations profiled include a portable charger leveraging heel power by SolePower, a footwear embedded charging technology by the University of Wisconsin-Madison, a wearable motion charger by Stryde Technologies, and using of wasted cell phone energy for charging by the Ohio State University.

The Microelectronics TechVision Opportunity Engine (TOE) captures global electronics-related innovations and developments on a weekly basis. Developments are centred on electronics attributed by low power and cost, smaller size, better viewing, display and interface facilities, wireless connectivity, higher memory capacity, flexibility and wearables. Research focus themes include small footprint lightweight devices (CNTs, graphene), smart monitoring and control (touch and haptics), energy efficiency (LEDs, OLEDs, power and thermal management, energy harvesting), and high speed and improved conductivity devices (SiC, GaN, GaAs).

Miniaturization, a move toward lower power consumption, and the need for enhanced features are driving innovations in the electronics sector. Technology focus areas include semiconductor manufacturing and design, flexible electronics, 3D integration/IC, MEMS and NEMS, solid state lighting, advanced displays, nanoelectronics, wearable electronics, brain computer interface, advanced displays, near field communication, and next generation data storage or memory.

Keywords: Portable charger, energy harvesting