Towards molecular electronics with large-area molecular junctions

Right at the junction The use of molecular electronics is a much-discussed alternative to conventional silicon devices: the prospect of such tiny components has obvious implications for miniaturization. One approach is to replace the conventional semiconductor with a single molecular layer that self-organizes between two electrodes. Molecular tunnel junctions have been made in such systems, but they tend to be hard to reproduce, unstable and limited to small diameters. Now Akkerman et al. have developed a relatively simple way of producing stable, reproducible molecular junctions with large areas from self-assembled monolayers of alkanethiols. The process is compatible with standard integrated circuit technologies and could offer a cheap way forward in the quest for practical molecular electronics.