A new molecular architecture for molecular electronics

Our goal is to integrate fundamental surface science and interface synthesis chemistry with novel device architecture that is underpinned by an analysis of device physics to build nextgeneration molecular scale transistors with application to microelectronic devices. The promise of molecular electronics has been based on organic thin films in devices devised and studied so far. Organic thin film transistors (OTFTs) most commonly use pentacene as the semiconductor in these devices; pentacene-based OTFTs have carrier mobilities in the range of 1 cm2 /Vs and on-off ratios between 106 and 108 [1] which may rival the performance of amorphous silicon transistors. There are, however, major drawbacks of pentacene-based OTFTs, including processing issues and grain boundary limitations[2] poor subthreshold performance and large positive threshold voltages. In order to truly realize the promise of molecular electronics, where active devices are of the scale of molecules, new device architectures must be devised where molecular control of the structure is key. We propose to create new molecular architectures based on organized growth of surface-attached organic semiconductors on nanoscale devices through directed regular stacking of bifunctional oligoarenes and organometallic complex linkers. Our new architecture eliminates the need for superdeposited pentacene or other organic semiconductors by synthesizing ordered, truly molecular devices based on new concepts of device physics that employ our unique ways to build ordered arrays of aromatics.     «

Our goal is to integrate fundamental surface science and interface synthesis chemistry with novel device architecture that is underpinned by an analysis of device physics to build nextgeneration molecular scale transistors with application to microelectronic devices. The promise of molecular electronics has been based on organic thin films in devices devised and studied so far. Organic thin film transistors (OTFTs) most commonly use pentacene as the semiconductor in these devices; penta...     »