AVS 52nd International Symposium
    Electronic Materials and Processing Thursday Sessions
       Session EM1-ThM

Paper EM1-ThM2
The Effects of Molecular Environments on the Electrical Switching with Memory of Nitro Molecules

Thursday, November 3, 2005, 8:40 am, Room 309

Session: Molecular Electronics
Presenter: N. Gergel-Hackett, University of Virginia
Authors: N. Gergel-Hackett, University of Virginia
N. Majumdar, University of Virginia
Z. Martin, University of Virginia
G. Pattanaik, University of Virginia
Y. Yao, Rice University
J.M. Tour, Rice University
G. Zangari, University of Virginia
N. Swami, University of Virginia
L.R. Harriott, University of Virginia
J.C Bean, University of Virginia
Correspondent: Click to Email
Since memory behavior was first reported for the "nitro" molecule (an OPE molecule with nitro side groups),@footnote 1@ other researchers have reported various combinations of electrical switching, memory, and/or negative differential resistance.@footnote 2,3,4@ These reports employed test structures that differed in the number of nitro molecules simultaneously contacted: some reports describe devices that contact thousands of molecules,@footnote1,3@ while others contact just a few.@footnote 2,4@ To address a possible correlation between contacting a large area of nitro molecules and observing memory behavior, we report on experiments that use a nanowell device where nitro molecules are seperated by insertion into a secondary matrix of alkanethiols. We observe memory behavior for "pure" nitro monolayers, but not for the monolayers of nitro molecules inserted into alkanethiols. Additionally, insertion into alkanethiol matrices adds the variable of order. STM images reveal that alkanethiol matrices are ordered, yet "pure" nitro monolayers are disordered. A recent report suggests a correlation between the rate of electrical switching and the ordering of a nitro molecule's environment.@footnote 4@ To test for a relationship between memory behavior and an ordered matrix environment, we have developed ways of forming disordered matrices. This is done by changing the exposure time of the substrate to the alkanethiol solution or by using COOH-terminated alkanethiols (16-mercapto hexadecanoic acid). We will report the electrical behavior of nitro molecules inserted into these disordered alkanethiol matrices and contrast the results with those obtained for nitro molecules inserted into ordered matrices, as well as those for "pure" nitro monolayers. @FootnoteText@ @footnote 1@M.A. Reed et al, Appl. Phys. Lett. 78, 3735 (2001)@footnote 2@I. Kratochvilova et al, J. Mater. Chem. 12, 2927 (2002)@footnote 3@F.Fan et al, J. Am. Chem. Soc.124, 5550 (2002)@footnote 4@Z.J. Donhauser et al, Science 292, 2303 (2001).