Single-molecule Electrical Characterization On A Controllable-break-junction Chip through Electrostatic Microactuators

Molecular electronics endeavors to create extensive integrated circuits by linking and managing individual molecules as electronic components, presenting a novel avenue for the exploration of future ultra-compact electronic devices. Currently, this field mainly uses dynamic break junction technology to build single-molecule junctions with high success rates and stability and to investigate the electronic properties of the single-molecular. However, the existing break junction technology still faces challenges in attaining manageable preparation and integrated connection of single-molecular electronic devices, due to the complexity of instrumentation. This work presents the development of a chip-integrated single-molecule break junction system utilizing micro-electromechanical system (MEMS) technology. The system includes an electrostatic actuator and an in-plane suspended golden bridge, which is driven by an electrostatic comb actuator to perform tapping mode for building single-molecule junctions. By assembling the molecules to the chip, we achieved single-molecule conductance detection of 1,6-hexanedithiol, confirming that the device can be used for single-molecule break junction experiments. This device greatly simplifies traditional single-molecule break junction instruments, which shows the potential to integrate single-molecule electronic devices onto chips.