Thermotronics for sero-power continous monitoring wireless sensors

该项目提出了一种新的模式，允许广泛部署无线传感器，以监测物联网（IoT）周围的物体和人员。 我们不再使用电线或电池为传统的电子传感器供电，而是用热电子学取代电子器件，即可以在没有电力的情况下使用热量来感知和处理信息的组件。来自人、机器和热事件（故障、火灾）的红外辐射由一组热晶体管捕获，转换它们的状态并启动一系列逻辑操作以直接处理红外信息，而无需电路或其他外部电源。 这一概念允许无限的寿命和持续监测的存在和事件，这是不可能的，今天没有昂贵的电池更换或有线安装。 使这种新模式成为可能的是最近发明的辐射热元件，如热晶体管和热二极管，由我们的合作者提出。它们是基于相变材料（VO2）的发射率随温度的急剧非线性变化。 这里，热量由捕获的IR提供用于感测功能，并且从一个晶体管传递到下一个晶体管用于信号处理。 该项目包括近场辐射的建模和热电子元件和电路的设计，VO2薄膜和表面微机械MEMS制造工艺的开发，以创建低热容量和隔热组件，并通过实验表征其行为。该项目不仅将首次展示这种类型的晶体管，还将使用MEMS技术开发其实现，以创建零功耗，真正无线，低成本监控的热电子逻辑门和电路。

This project proposes a new paradigm to allow pervasive deployment of wireless sensors that monitor objects and people in our surroundings for the Internet of Things (IoT). Instead of using wires or batteries to power traditional electronic sensors, we replace the electronics with thermotronics, i.e. components that can sense and process information without electricity, using heat instead. The infrared emission from people, machines, and thermal events (failure, fire) is captured by an array of thermal transistors, switching their state and launching a sequence of logic operations to directly process the IR information, without electric circuitry or other external power. This concept allows infinite lifetime and continuous monitoring of presence and events, which is not possible today without costly battery replacement or wired installations. What makes this new paradigm possible is the recent invention of radiative thermal components, such as the thermal transistor and thermal diode, proposed by our collaborators. They are based on the drastic non-linear change in emissivity of phase change materials (VO2) as a function of temperature. Here, the heat is provided by the captured IR for the sensing function, and from transferred from one transistor to the next for signal processing. The project includes modeling of the near field radiation and design of the thermotronic elements and circuits, development of the VO2 films and surface micromachined MEMS fabrication process to create low heat capacity and thermally insulated components, and experimentally characterize their behavior. This project will not only allow the first demonstration of this type of transistor, but also develop its implementation using MEMS technology to create thermotronic logic gates and circuits for zero-power, truly wireless, low-cost monitoring.**