Karl Franzens University Graz
Graz University of Technology
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Karl Franzens University Graz | Graz University of Technology | |
Highly ordered molecular adsorbate layers on metal surfaces: Model systems for molecule-based nanoelectronics Molecule-based nanoelectronics offers excellent prospects for high-performance devices of the future. Because they allow the deployment of powerful surface science tools, highly ordered monolayers and thin films of on electrically active molecules on single crystal surfaces are excellent model systems for fundamental properties of molecule-metal contacts. In the first part of the talk, I will present an in-depth characterization of the structural and electronic properties of a few well-defined contacts and interfaces. In the second part I will show that highly ordered molecular adsorbate layers are an excellent starting point for studying electrical transport in (gated) molecular wires. In spite of recent progress, the precise measurement of quantum transport through molecules is still a formidable challenge. Low-T-STM forms an excellent platform for this purpose. The STM allows selection of specific molecules, covalent contacting at predefined atoms, continuous tuning of the molecule-electrode back-contact, and a presupposition-less comparison to ab initio theory1. Using transport beyond simple vacuum tunneling may also dramatically improve the information content of STM images, yielding ultra-high geometric image contrasts which are related to the chemical structure of the investigated molecule2. |