title: Upscaling, integration and electrical characterization of molecular junctions.
abstract: The ultimate target of molecular electronics is to combine different types of functional molecules into integrated circuits, preferably through an autonomous self-assembly process. Charge transport through self-assembled monolayers has been investigated previously, but problems remain with reliability, stability and yield, preventing further progress in the integration of discrete molecular junctions. Here we present a technology to simultaneously fabricate over 20,000 molecular junctions-each consisting of a gold bottom electrode, a self-assembled alkanethiol monolayer, a conducting polymer layer and a gold top electrode-on a single 150-mm wafer. Their integration is demonstrated in strings where up to 200 junctions are connected in series with a yield of unity. The statistical analysis on these molecular junctions, for which the processing parameters were varied and the influence on the junction resistance was measured, allows for the tentative interpretation that the perpendicular electrical transport through these monolayer junctions is factorized.
authors.affiliation: Philips Research Laboratories, High Tech Campus 4, 5656 AE Eindhoven, Netherlands.
authors.forename: Paul A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Van Hal
authors.forename: Edsger C P
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Smits
authors.forename: Tom C T
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Geuns
authors.forename: Hylke B
authors.initials: HB
authors.lastname: Akkerman
authors.forename: Bianca C
authors.initials: BC
authors.lastname: De Brito
authors.forename: Stefano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Perissinotto
authors.forename: Guglielmo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lanzani
authors.forename: Auke J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Kronemeijer
authors.forename: Victor
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Geskin
authors.forename: Jérôme
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cornil
authors.forename: Paul W M
authors.initials: PW
authors.lastname: Blom
authors.forename: Bert
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: De Boer
authors.forename: Dago M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: De Leeuw
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D019086:Bridged Bicyclo Compounds, Heterocyclic; D004553:Electric Conductivity; D004581:Electronics; D006046:Gold; D008839:Microelectrodes; D049329:Nanostructures; D036103:Nanotechnology; D011108:Polymers
chemical_list: D019086:Bridged Bicyclo Compounds, Heterocyclic; D011108:Polymers; C121383:poly(3,4-ethylene dioxythiophene); D006046:Gold