The need for simple non-volatile memories for integration in flexible and mobile electronic devices has boosted research on molecular-scale systems. Because of their nanometer size they can enable easy processing from solution and low power consumption and their molecular nature provides a huge variability in modification and optimization.
New research has investigated the optimum position of a C60-memory unit on the sub-nm level in mixed self-assembled monolayers of only 2.5 nm thickness. The mixed monolayers act as integrated dielectric memory layer in organic thin-film transistors. By molecular design, the memory unit can be embedded in an insulating “carpet” of molecules what improves the stability of a written bit by three orders of magnitude compared to previous molecular approaches.
