Molecular Nanoelectronics

TL;DR

Molecular electronics offers a promising pathway for future nanoelectronics by enabling the assembly of nanoscale objects into new devices, with potential benefits in miniaturization, cost reduction, and energy efficiency, despite existing challenges.

Contribution

This paper reviews the potential and challenges of molecular electronics as a versatile approach for nano-scale device fabrication and circuit design.

Findings

Potential for large-scale nanoscale device assembly

Cost and energy efficiency advantages over traditional semiconductors

Ongoing challenges in interface control and reproducibility

Abstract

Molecular electronics is envisioned as a promising candidate for the nanoelectronics of the future. More than a possible answer to ultimate miniaturization problem in nanoelectronics, molecular electronics is foreseen as a possible way to assemble a large numbers of nanoscale objects (molecules, nanoparticules, nanotubes and nanowires) to form new devices and circuit architectures. It is also an interesting approach to significantly reduce the fabrication costs, as well as the energetical costs of computation, compared to usual semiconductor technologies. Moreover, molecular electronics is a field with a large spectrum of investigations: from quantum objects for testing new paradigms, to hybrid molecular-silicon CMOS devices. However, problems remain to be solved (e.g. a better control of the molecule-electrode interfaces, improvements of the reproducibility and reliability, etc...).