Light at the end of the tunnel?

Thanks to a team of materials scientists at Northwestern University, molecular electronics may be one step closer to reality.

The researchers, led by Mark Hersam, assistant professor of materials science and engineering, have become the first to measure a unique and versatile nanoelectronic effect - called resonant tunneling - through individual molecules mounted directly on silicon.

"This work represents the first experimental realisation of a molecular resonant tunneling device on a semiconductor," said Hersam.

"The device works at room temperature and on silicon, which are important features that suggest that it can be made compatible with conventional silicon microelectonics. It's easier to make inroads if you complement current technology rather than replace it."