Abstract
Molecular electronics is a new field of science and technology which is evolving from the convergence of ideas from chemistry, physics, biology, electronics and information technology (Aviram, 1989; Carter, 1987; Barker, 1987a, 1987b, 1987c, 1989a, 1989b, 1990). It involves on the one hand: molecular materials for electronics/optoelectronic applications; on the other hand it involves seeking to build electronics with molecules at the molecular level. It is this second viewpoint which concerns us here: the attempt to devise electronic functions such as switching, storage or logic at the level of single or few molecules. Practically all of the problems of granular nanoelectronics in the inorganic solid state carry over to molecular electronics and indeed to areas of bioelectronics where one is concerned with making interfaces to single biological entities. Although one should not under-estimate the very severe problems facing molecular electronics it offers special features which ultimately make it a very attractive alternative to inorganic electronics especially the possibility of self-organising assembly of molecular systems, bio-compatibilty and very high bit density. In terms of the theme of this school it offers unique approaches to handling one bit on one carrier. In the present paper we outline some of the reasons why molecular electronics is breaking new ground in electronics; we examine the system implications, the possible candidates for molecular-scale logic devices, the problem of addressing single molecules and some recent experimental progress to securing these aims.
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Barker, J.R., Connolly, P.C., Moores, G. (1991). Interfacing to Biological and Molecular Structures. In: Ferry, D.K., Barker, J.R., Jacoboni, C. (eds) Granular Nanoelectronics. NATO ASI Series, vol 251. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4899-3689-9_27
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4899-3689-9_27
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