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Molecular engineering of semiconductor surfaces and devices.
Gonen Ashkenasy1, David Cahen, Rami Cohen
1Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel.
Accounts of Chemical Research
|February 20, 2002
Summary
Attaching organic molecules to surfaces transfers their properties to create new hybrid materials. This enables molecule-controlled electronic devices like diodes and sensors, suggesting a novel path for molecular electronics.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Surface Chemistry
- Molecular Electronics
Background:
- Grafting organic molecules onto solid surfaces is a key method for creating hybrid materials.
- Molecular properties can be transferred to solid substrates, influencing material characteristics.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how systematically varying molecular properties affects the electronic characteristics of molecule-solid hybrid materials.
- To demonstrate the potential of these hybrid materials in electronic devices such as diodes and sensors.
Main Methods:
- Modification of semiconductor and metal surfaces with organic molecules.
- Systematic variation of molecular properties to observe trends.
- Fabrication and testing of hybrid material-based electronic devices.
Main Results:
- Observed clear trends in the electronic properties of hybrid materials correlating with molecular modifications.
- Demonstrated molecule-controlled diodes and sensors.
- Identified 'action at a distance' electron transport, where electrons do not traverse the molecules.
Conclusions:
- Surface modification with organic molecules offers a tunable approach to engineer hybrid material properties.
- The 'action at a distance' phenomenon opens new avenues for designing molecule-based electronic devices.
- This work suggests a promising new direction for the field of molecular electronics.