November 11, 2003
Molecular Electronic Device Shows Promise
EVANSTON, Ill. --- Thanks to a team of materials scientists at
Northwestern University, molecular electronics may be one step
closer to reality. The researchers, led by Mark Hersam, assistant
professor of materials science and engineering, have become the
first to measure a unique and versatile nanoelectronic effect --
called resonant tunneling -- through individual molecules mounted
directly on silicon.
The findings
were published online Nov. 1 by Nano Letters, a publication of
the American Chemical Society. The article will appear in print
on the cover of the journal’s January 2004 issue.
“This work represents the first experimental realization
of a molecular resonant tunneling device on a semiconductor,” said
Hersam. “The device works at room temperature and on silicon,
which are important features that suggest that it can be made compatible
with conventional silicon microelectronics. It’s easier to
make inroads if you complement current technology rather than replace
it.”
Silicon microelectronics has undergone relentless miniaturization
during the past 30 years leading to dramatic improvements in computational
capacity and speed. At the most fundamental limit, individual molecules
have been envisaged as functional electronic devices. When interfaced
with conventional circuitry, resonant tunneling devices allow improved
efficiency and reduced power consumption in computer architectures.
Resonant tunneling also may allow individual molecules to be
detected and identified, thus creating future opportunities for
high sensitivity sensors. |