An overview of self-switching diode rectifiers using green materials

A unipolar two-terminal nanodevice, known as the self-switching diode (SSD), has recently been demonstrated as a room-temperature rectifier at microwave and terahertz frequencies due to its nonlinear current-voltage characteristic. The planar architecture of SSD not only makes the fabrication process of the device faster, simpler and at a lower cost when compared with other rectifying diodes, but also allows the use of various materials to realize and fabricate SSDs. This includes the utilization of ‘green’ materials such as organic and graphene thin films for environmental sustainability. This paper reviews the properties of current ‘green’ SSD rectifiers with respect to their operating frequencies and rectifying performances, including responsivity and noise-equivalent power of the devices, along with the applications.