Carbon nanotube film-based cantilever for light and thermal energy harvesting

A new type of energy harvesting device based on a self-reciprocating carbon nanotube film (CNF)-PZT cantilever upon exposure to light and thermal radiation is reported. For a typical device of 20 mm in length, 8 mm in width, 300 μm in thickness, the open circuit voltage can be up to 8V. Without any device optimization, the generated power is in the range of 0.85 μW. Analysis and experiments indicate that the output power can be enhanced significantly by reducing the internal resistance of the device or by operating arrayed devices.