Journal of Embedded Systems & Its Applications ISSN: 3139-2296 (Online)

Authors: Gayatri Pawar, Anand Kashyap

Abstract: This article introduces a single-chip solar energy harvesting integrated circuit (IC) with exceptional efficiency, specifically designed for biomedical implant applications and utilizing an on-chip solar cell. The incorporation of an on-chip charge pump, coupled with parallel-connected photodiodes, results in a remarkable 3.5-fold improvement in efficiency compared to the conventional stacked photodiode approach, effectively enhancing the harvested voltage. To further enhance area efficiency and accelerate startup speed by 77%, a photodiode-assisted dual startup circuit (PDSC) is employed. The high-efficiency system is implemented using 0.18-μm CMOS technology, occupying a compact active area of approximately 1.54 mm². The utilization of an on-chip charge pump achieves a maximum efficiency of 67% with an incident power of 1.22 mW/cm².

Keywords: Single chip solar energy harvesting, on chip charge pump, Auxiliary charge pump, Photodiode-assisted dual startup circuit.