Zinc-oxide-based planar nanodiodes operating at 50 MHz

Nanometer-scale self-switching devices (SSDs) fabricated in polycrystalline zinc oxide have been demonstrated up to at least 51.5 MHz, functioning as rectifiers to generate DC voltage. The SSDs require only a single nanolithography step and hence are of interest to low-cost printed electronics. The devices showed stable performance within the frequency range tested. The as-fabricated devices possessed strongly nonlinear current-voltage characteristics, resembling those of conventional diodes. After coating the devices with poly methyl methacrylate and poly vinylidene fluoride to enhance the electric field coupling, the nonlinear behavior was maintained while the device current increased dramatically.