Nano-Molecular Electronics: Ideas and Experiments

Abstract

Two designs for information processing devices, comprised of organised assemblies of organic molecules, are described. Information is represented by charges in molecular layers. In the inchworm memory bits are shifted between the layers by electric fields; in the optical shift register, bits are shifted by light pulses. The devices are designed to be interfaceable to existing silicon technology. Photoconduction experiments are described on molecules assembled by the Langmuir Blodgett technique, which are able to measure electron transport properties, at a molecular level, and on a 35 ps time scale. Interlayer and intralayer intermolecular tunnelling rates are determined, and related to molecular parameters. Control of electron position, at a molecular scale, has been achieved by means of using blocking molecular bilayers.