Creating molecules for electronics in the age of nanotechnology
The SANEME project was set up to investigate fabrication techniques for the manufacturing of microchips with nanoscale components. Nanoscale and nanotechnology refer to the use of devices on the scale of nanometres (one thousandth of a millimetre). The project has produced a method for synthesising long-chain molecules with lengths of between three and five nanometres (3 - 5nm). This is a size useful for nanoelectronics because the molecules can bridge very small spaces between electrodes, known as nanogaps, in order to form the functional components of electronic circuits. The molecules have also been chosen to be soluble in organic solvents, making them easy to deposit onto a silicon wafer. Furthermore, their electrical properties can be manipulated by altering the chemical groups that make up the molecular chain. The variations available include adding donor-acceptor groups (chemicals that introduce an electrical polarity), introducing a twist into the chain (altering the angle of twist changes electronic properties), and inserting transition metals at regular intervals in order to increase the achievable chain length. These alterations can give greater control over the electron flows through the molecules so they can be even more useful as components in electronic applications.
