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Studying Molecular Electronics |
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In electronics, smaller equals faster. In an effort to help the electronics industry continue to shrink semiconductor circuits, NIST researchers are developing methods for testing the electrical properties of molecules. The idea is to use specially designed molecules as electrical switches, resistors, insulators, or memory cells instead of using constructed components. Here, physicist Curt Richter inserts a wafer containing test structures into a low-noise electrical probe station. The test structures consist of a self-assembled, single layer of molecules sandwiched between simple circuits arranged at right angles to each other. A voltage applied to the bottom circuit flows through the molecular monolayer and is sensed with a probe tip on the top circuit. By carefully characterizing the electrical properties of this "model" system, NIST researchers hope to improve confidence in the more complex measurements industry will ultimately need to make on newly developed molecular electronic components. Copyright
is owned by the photographer. This photo is available without
charge for use in materials that describe NIST programs directly.
All other uses require permission from the photographer. For
further information or to receive a high resolution version of
this image contact: Gail
Porter, (301) 975-3392. |
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Nanoelectronic Device Metrology Project Nanotechnology and Semiconductor Electronics Semiconductor Electronics Division Electronics and Electrical and Engineering Laboratory Created: 04/01/03
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