Sylvain Bacquet

On chip post-processed microbattery powered with RF and thermal energy through a power management circuit

The proposed microsystem architecture comprises two power sources, and a microbattery used as a storage unit ; a complete integrated circuit transforms and manages the harvested energy and interfaces the microbattery. The first source is a RF power receiver combined with a classical RF converter. The second micropower source is a 1V miniature thermogenerator based on sintered bismuth telluride thermoelements, combined with a micropower DC/DC up converter. The converter architecture includes an innovative power switch control designed for better power efficiency, and improved supply noise performance. The microbattery is a lithium, solid-state, battery post-processed on the integrated circuit. A discharge monitor with 5nW power consumption, along with a 78% efficiency charge unit interfaces the battery. These harvesting and power storage devices are foreseen as a way to provide power on a chip, allowing either permanent active security for smart card applications or sensors supply for monitoring applications for example.

PEACPocket: a technological demonstrator for future multimedia smart card

This presented work has been conducted in a framework of a project with the objective to associate power microsources into smart cards in order to create novel functionalities. To demonstrate the feasibility of such a new powered microsystem, a demonstrator named PEA Card is under development.It is powered by two rechargeable batteries:• A microbattery on chip for security applications.• A Thin Film Power Battery inside the card packaging to recharge the microbattery and to supply user interfaces.An ASIC, used as substrate for the microbattery, manages the energy of the two power sources. It is designed to have a very low consumption. A processor and a display, powered by the embedded Power Battery, allow the user to access data without external source of energy. An RFID antenna permits a contactless charge of the two batteries.