An In-Plane Sliding Triboelectric Nanogenerator with a Multielectrode Array for Self-Powered Dynamic Addressing and Trajectory Tracking

The recognition and detection of micromotion, widely existant in modern microsystems, directly affects the sensing performance of advanced low-dimensional electronics. Herein, a subtle in-plane sliding triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) composed of a polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) plate and an adjustable Al electrode array is reported. Each TENG unit can deliver an open-circuit voltage of about 11.6 V, with a short-circuit current close to 36 nA. An array of Al electrodes linearly aligned along the sliding direction enables dynamic addressing by recording and calculating sliding time without interference from sliding speed. In addition, two types of TENG-based flexible self-powered sensor matrices show an accurate mapping capability for stylus or finger movements, realizing real-time trajectory tracking without using any external power sources. Herein, TENG-based sensing applications are expanded, especially in active artificial intelligence and Internet of things.