An Ultra-Low-Power and Wide-Operating-Voltage-Window Capacitive Piezo-tronic Sensor for Tactile Sensing

Abstract The rapid growth of Artificial Intelligence and Internet of Things (AIoT) demands the development of ultra-low-power devices for future advanced technology. In this study, we introduce a novel Capacitive Piezo-tronic Sensor that operates at an ultra-low reading bias or nearly 0 bias condition and also enables a consistent response within a large voltage range. This sensor directly detects capacitance changes induced by piezo-charges, reflecting perturbation of the effective depletion width, and enables ultra-low-power capability by eliminating the necessity of turning on the Schottky diode. The dynamic response of the sensor also shows ultra-low-power capability and immunity to triboelectric interference. This study provides valuable insights and design guidelines for future ultra-low-power thin-film-based capacitive piezo-tronic/piezo-phototronic devices.