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Contact Architecture Controls Conductance in Monolayer Devices
Kai B Saller1, Kung-Ching Liao2, Hubert Riedl3
1Molecular Electronics, Technische Universität München, Theresienstrasse 90, 80333 Munich, Germany.
ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces
|June 11, 2020
Summary
Device architecture significantly impacts conductivity. Top-contact devices using self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) show much higher current than bottom-contact ones, highlighting the importance of contact geometry for molecular electronics.
Area of Science:
- Molecular electronics
- Materials science
- Nanotechnology
Background:
- Self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) can function as conductive channels.
- Device architecture critically influences the performance of molecular electronic devices.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effect of contact architecture on the electrical properties of organophosphonate SAMs.
- To compare the conductivity of top-contact versus bottom-contact SAM devices.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of top-contact and bottom-contact devices using nanotransfer printing (nTP).
- Assembly of organophosphonate SAMs from (9,10-di(naphthalen-2-yl)anthracen-2-yl)phosphonate.
- Electrical characterization of devices under bias.
Main Results:
- Top-contact devices exhibited current approximately 3 orders of magnitude higher than bottom-contact devices.
- Conductance in top-contact devices was over 100,000 times greater than in devices without a SAM.
- Significant differences in conductance were attributed to contact-to-SAM geometry and resistance.
Conclusions:
- The electrical contact architecture profoundly affects the performance of SAM-based conductive channels.
- Top-contact configurations offer superior conductivity for organophosphonate SAMs compared to bottom-contact.
- Optimizing contact geometry is crucial for enhancing molecular electronic device efficiency.
