National Institute for Nanotechnology, National Research Council Canada, Edmonton, AB, Canada.
Phys Chem Chem Phys. 2013 Jan 28;15(4):1065-81. doi: 10.1039/c2cp43516k.
The promise of molecular electronic devices stems from the possibilities offered by the rich electronic structure of organic molecules. The use of molecules as functional components in microelectronic devices has long been envisioned to augment or even replace silicon. However, the understanding of what controls charge transport in these devices involves complexities stemming from numerous variables that are often interactive and exert a controlling influence on transport, confounding the role of the molecular component. This perspective discusses various aspects of molecular electronics, from the initial "vision quests" of single molecule, functional electronic elements, to the molecular tunnel junctions that have been studied and characterized in-depth. Aspects of energy level alignment are discussed in the context of charge transport mechanisms, as are important electronic interactions when molecules are bonded to conducting "contacts". In addition, integration of molecular components with microelectronic processing is considered, as are the prospects for functional, real-world devices.
分子电子器件的前景源于有机分子丰富的电子结构所带来的可能性。长期以来，人们一直设想将分子用作微电子器件中的功能组件，以增强甚至取代硅。然而，要理解是什么控制这些器件中的电荷输运，就需要涉及到许多相互作用并对输运施加控制影响的变量，这使得分子组件的作用变得复杂。本综述讨论了分子电子学的各个方面，从最初的单分子、功能电子元件的“愿景探索”，到已经深入研究和表征的分子隧道结。在讨论电荷输运机制时，讨论了能级对准的各个方面，以及当分子键合到导电“接触”时的重要电子相互作用。此外，还考虑了分子组件与微电子加工的集成，以及功能、实际器件的前景。
