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Contacting Individual Molecules Using Mechanically Controllable Break Junctions

  • Chapter
Introducing Molecular Electronics

Part of the book series: Lecture Notes in Physics ((LNP,volume 680))

Abstract

Among the experimental techniques employed in contacting individual molecules Mechanically Controllable Break Junctions are being frequently used. Some of the advantages are (1) straight-forward preparation of clean surfaces for anchoring the molecule; (2) the possibility to produce many different single-molecule junctions in one experiment, allowing obtaining statistical averages; (3) adapting the electrode gap to the molecules’ length; (4) control over the mechanical stress of the molecule. We briefly review results obtained on organic molecules anchored to gold electrodes by thiol groups, both at room temperature and at cryogenic temperatures, and experiments on simple molecules chemisorbed to platinum electrodes.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Kamerlingh Onnes Laboratorium, Universiteit Leiden, Postbus 9504, Leiden, RA, 2300, The Netherlands

    Jan van Ruitenbeek

  2. Fachbereich Physik, Universität Konstanz, Universitätsstr. 10, Konstanz, 78464, Germany

    Elke Scheer

  3. Institut für Angewandte Physik, Universität Erlangen-N urnberg, Erlangen, 91058, Germany

    Heiko B. Weber

  4. Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe, Institut für Nanotechnologie, Karlsruhe, 76021, Germany

    Heiko B. Weber

Authors
  1. Jan van Ruitenbeek
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  2. Elke Scheer
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  3. Heiko B. Weber
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Institut für Theoretische Physik, Universität Regensburg, Universitätsstr. 31, Regensburg, 93053, Germany

    Gianaurelio Cuniberti  & Klaus Richter  & 

  2. Nanotechnology Group, National Microelectronics Research Center (NMRC), Lee Maltings, Cork, Ireland

    Giorgos Fagas

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van Ruitenbeek, J., Scheer, E., Weber, H.B. (2006). Contacting Individual Molecules Using Mechanically Controllable Break Junctions. In: Cuniberti, G., Richter, K., Fagas, G. (eds) Introducing Molecular Electronics. Lecture Notes in Physics, vol 680. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg . https://doi.org/10.1007/3-540-31514-4_10

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