Flexible Silver/Polyaniline Schottky Diodes on a Polyethylene Based Elastomer: A Sustainable Approach for Advanced Electronics

Abstract

This study presents the fabrication and characterization of flexible Schottky diodes based on silver (Ag) and polyaniline (PAni) layers, constructed on a recyclable poly(ethylene-co-methyl acrylate-co-glycidyl methacrylate) terpolymer (PE-MA-GM) substrate. The fabrication process involved compression molding of the PE-MA-GM resin substrate and patterning of PAni layers using aluminum masks, followed by the deposition of Ag electrodes. Electrical characterization revealed stable current–voltage (I–V) characteristics at room temperature and under varying operating temperatures. Furthermore, the devices exhibited decent performance under mechanical bending at angles of 40°, and 60°, demonstrating robustness against mechanical stress. Additionally, we recycled entire devices and reconstructed Ag/PAni on the recycled substrate, achieving I–V characteristics comparable to the original measurements. While the fabrication methods used in this study were nonstandard, our preliminary findings underscore the potential of Ag/PAni Schottky diodes integrated onto a flexible and recyclable PE-MA-GM substrate. The results demonstrate promising performance metrics, with stable electrical behavior across varying operating conditions. This work offers an alternative approach to advancing the development of flexible and sustainable electronic systems. It paves the way for future studies focused on optimizing device performance, improving scalability, and expanding applications in wearable and environmentally conscious technologies.