A Study on the Current-Voltage Characteristics of Self-Assembled Organic Molecules by using STM

Currently, molecular devices are reported utilizing active self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) containing the nitro group as the active component, which has active redox centers [1]. SAMs are ordered molecular structures formed by the adsorption of an active surfactant on a solid surface. The molecules will be spontaneously oriented toward the substrate surface and form an energetically favorable ordered layer. During this process, the surface-active head group of the molecule chemically reacts with and chemisorbs onto the substrate In this paper, the electrical properties of the 4'4- di(ethynylphenyl)-2'-nitro-1-benzenethiolate was confirmed. This material is well known as a conducting molecule having possible application to molecular level negative differential resistance (NDR) device. To deposit the self-assembly monolayers onto the gold electrode, the prefabricated Au(1 l l) substrates were immersed into 0.5[mM/l] self-assembly molecule in THF solution. Then, the electrical properties and surface morphologies of 4' 4-di(ethynylphenyl)-2' -nitro-1-benzenethiolate were measured by using the ultra-high vacuum scanning tunneling microscopy (UHV-STM).