Researchers from the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) are looking into the potential use of zinc oxide (ZnO) materials to convert mechanical energy into electrical energy to power micro devices.

"Mechanical energy exists everywhere, all the time, and in a variety of forms -- including movement, sound and vibration." said Giwan Yoon, a professor of the university's Department of Electrical Engineering.

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"The conversion from mechanical energy to electrical energy is a reliable approach to obtain electricity for powering the sustainable, wireless and flexible devices -- free of environmental limitations,"

The research aims to develop electronic devices that are more flexible, sustainable and powered by renewable energy.

According to the researchers, by inserting aluminum nitride insulating layers into ZnO-based energy harvesting devices, also called "nano-generators", the devices' performance have improved significantly.

"ZnO nanostructures are particularly suitable as nano-generator functional elements, thanks to their numerous virtues including transparency, lead-free biocompatibility, nano-structural formability, chemical stability, and coupled piezoelectric and semiconductor properties," said Yoon.

Yoon said this is useful for many applications such as portable communication devices, healthcare and environmental monitoring devices and implantable medical devices.

TagsKorea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, KAIST, Mechanical Energy, Conversion, Eletrical Energy, Zinc Oxide, ZnO, Nanogenerator, flexible, Sustainable, Electronic Devices