A 13.56 MHz Rectifier Based on Fully Inkjet Printed Organic Diodes

The increasing diffusion of portable and wearable technologies results in a growing interest in electronic devices having features such as flexibility, lightness-in-weight, transparency, and wireless operation. Organic electronics is proposed as a potential candidate to fulfill such needs, in particular targeting pervasive radio-frequency (RF) applications. Still, limitations in terms of device performances at RF, particularly severe when large-area and scalable fabrication techniques are employed, have largely precluded the achievement of such an appealing scenario. In this work, the rectification of an electromagnetic wave at 13.56 MHz with a fully inkjet printed polymer diode is demonstrated. The rectifier, a key enabling component of future pervasive wireless systems, is fabricated through scalable large-area methods on plastic. To provide a proof-of-principle demonstration of its future applicability, its adoption in powering a printed integrated polymer circuit is presented. The possibility of harvesting electrical power from RF waves and delivering it to a cheap flexible substrate through a simple printed circuitry paves the way to a plethora of appealing distributed electronic applications.