The electronic structure of metal/alkane thiol self-assembled monolayers/metal junctions for magnetoelectronics applications

Authors

Y.A. Ovchenkov, University of Nebraska - Lincoln
H. Geisler, Xavier University, New Orleans, LA
J.M. Burst, University of New Orleans, New Orleans, LA
S.N. Thornburg, University of New Orleans, New Orleans, LA
C.A. Ventrice Jr., University of New Orleans, New Orleans, LA
Chunjuan Zhang, University of Nebraska - Lincoln
Jody G. Redepenning, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow
Yaroslav B. Losovyj, Louisiana State University at Baton RougeFollow
Luis G. Rosa, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow
Peter A. Dowben, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow
Bernard Doudin, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow

Date of this Version

11-4-2003

Comments

Published in Chemical Physics Letters 381:1-2 (November 4, 2003), pp. 7–13. doi:10.1016/j.cplett.2003.09.078 Copyright © 2003. Elsevier B.V. Used by permission. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/00092614.

Abstract

Long-chain alkane thiols use in metal to organic self-assembled monolayer to metal junctions may be limited by orientational disorder, and photoemission studies suggest that several molecular layers may be needed for the dielectric layer to be effective. Several alkane thiols were investigated in a range of junctions areas 10–10² μm². Top layer contact deposition, activated with Pd clusters resulted in a high yield of junctions that were not electrically shorted and are stable over a wide temperature range. Zerobias anomalies, observed at low temperatures, are attributed to a Coulomb blockade associated with the Pd clusters.