In their work on post-CMOS technologies, IBM researchers at the company’s Zurich lab are characterising the electronic behaviour of single organic molecules, but the science is still not far enough advanced to be able to predict their properties.
The standard experimental technique for investigating single molecules is to create a ‘break junction’ a matter of picometres (10-12m) wide between gold contacts that taper to a single atom.
Molecules are introduced into the chamber, which is cooled to cryogenic temperatures, bond to the gold, and are then subjected to voltage cycles.
So far IBM has shown a hysteric ‘memory’ effect using a certain organic molecule, in which the shape it adopts affects its conductivity. However, Dr Heike Riel said there are no theories in place to allow any accurate predictions to be made.
Last year Riel published research describing the construction of a vertical Fet made using a silicon nanowire and an aluminium cylindrical gate for “the best electrostatics”.
The device showed a gate voltage dependent current increase of more than two orders of magnitude.
IBM