Current-voltage (I-V) characteristics of the molecular electronic devices using various organic molecules

Organic molecules have many properties that make them attractive for electronic applications. We have been examining the progress of memory cell by using molecular-scale switch to give an example of the application using both nano scale components and Si-technology. In this study, molecular electronic devices were fabricated with amino-style derivatives as redox-active component. This molecule is amphiphilic to allow monolayer formation by the Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) method, and then this LB monolayer is inserted between two metal electrodes. According to the current-voltage (I-V) characteristics, it was found that the devices show remarkable hysteresis behavior and can be used as memory devices at ambient conditions, when aluminum oxide layer was existed on bottom electrode. The diode-like characteristics were measured only, when Pt layer was existed as bottom electrode. It was also found that this metal layer interacts with organic molecules and acts as a protecting layer, when thin Ti layer was inserted between the organic molecular layer and Al top electrode. These electrical properties of the devices may be applicable to active components for the memory and/or logic gates in the future. (C) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.