Hutchison, James E., Laura Clarke, Christopher A. Berven, Martin N. Wybourne, Jana Mooster, Scott M. Reed and Marvin G. Warner. AN ENVIRONMENTALLY-BENIGN, BIOMIMETIC APPROACH TO ASSEMBLING NANOELECTRONIC DEVICES
Department of Chemistry, 1253 University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403 (hutch@oregon.uoregon.edu)
Manufacturing processes currently used to prepare computer chips involve a number of hazardous materials that, despite the industry’s stringent safeguards, pose risk to human health and the environment in the event of mishandling or accidental release. Exponentially increasing fabrication costs and fundamental physical limitations are barriers to the operation of nanoscale electronic devices. Thus, alternative device structures that can be fabricated using greener and less expensive methods are needed. Our approach to building ultrasmall electronic devices from molecular building blocks and biopolymer templates will be presented. The novel electronic properties (e.g., Coulomb blockade) of assemblies of metal nanoparticles are being investigated for use in nanoelectronic applications. Synthetic methods, microscopic and surface analytical investigations, and electron transport studies will be presented. Electrical measurements suggest that the electronic properties of these arrays are remarkably tolerant of defects and disorder, an important prerequisite for electronic applications.