Guiding Students to Understand the Nanoscale Charge Transport by the Mechanically Controllable Break Junction Technique

• Yiling Ye ^[1] ; Chun Tang ^[1] ; Chengyang Zhang ^[1] ; Gang Dong ^[1] ; Junyang Liu ^[1] ; Wenjing Hong ^[1]
  1. [1] Xiamen University

     Xiamen University

     China

     
• Localización: Journal of chemical education, ISSN 0021-9584, Vol. 98, Nº 7, 2021, págs. 2430-2439
• Idioma: inglés
• Texto completo no disponible (Saber más ...)
• Resumen

  • Fabrication of molecular devices will meet the demands of the miniaturization of traditional electronic devices. Although microfabrication based on the complementary metal-oxide–semiconductor process can fabricate high-quality single-molecule devices, the cost is high, leading to a challenge to provide a hands-on experiment in the teaching practice of charge transport through single-molecule devices. Here, we demonstrate the low cost and simple procedures associated with a mechanically controllable break junction (MCBJ) technique to fabricate single-molecule devices. On the basis of the MCBJ technique, the conductance of gold–gold atomic contacts and single-molecule junctions can be readily characterized. The teaching practice helps students understand charge transport at the single-molecule level, that is, the quantum tunneling mechanisms. Moreover, the MCBJ technique study provides students the opportunity to develop interdisciplinary thinking, which is vital for understanding, designing, and developing single-molecule electronics.