EVENT: Physics Seminar

Molecular electronics is now considered a viable future technology base for the enhancement of existing silicon-based microelectronics. By incorporating electronically active molecular units into solid-state platforms, ‘hybrid’ systems with higher component density, lower energy demand, lower cost and potentially new function compared with conventional devices may become possible. The rational development of molecular electronics is underpinned by an understanding of intramolecular electron transfer processes and molecular electronic structure, but is also critically dependent on the coupling of the molecule to (semi)conducting surfaces and interfaces, and the ability to fabricate these contacts into device structures. In this presentation, the nature of some of these problems will be outlined, and progress made in the authors’ laboratories described. Examples will include: redox-active organometallic molecules as components in molecular electronics;[1] the development of a novel silicon-based molecule-surface contacting group;[2] the use of STM and electrochemical STM based platforms in the assessment of molecular wire- and transistor-like behaviour;[3] and the use of organogold complexes as precursors to scaleable metal|molecule|metal devices.[4]