ERIC Number: EJ1303617
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2021-Jul
Pages: 10
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0021-9584
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
Guiding Students to Understand the Nanoscale Charge Transport by the Mechanically Controllable Break Junction Technique
Ye, Yiling; Tang, Chun; Zhang, Chengyang; Dong, Gang; Liu, Junyang; Hong, Wenjing
Journal of Chemical Education, v98 n7 p2430-2439 Jul 2021
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.
Descriptors: Quantum Mechanics, Chemistry, Laboratory Equipment, Electronics, Teaching Methods, Interdisciplinary Approach
Division of Chemical Education, Inc. and ACS Publications Division of the American Chemical Society. 1155 Sixteenth Street NW, Washington, DC 20036. Tel: 800-227-5558; Tel: 202-872-4600; e-mail: eic@jce.acs.org; Web site: http://pubs.acs.org/jchemeduc
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: N/A
Audience: Teachers
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A