Single Molecule Diode

A diode is a semiconductor device with two terminals, typically allowing the flow of current in one direction only. They are used extensively in all fields of electronics and hardware creation. At the University of Barcelona researchers have come up with a new and improved diode which is literally formed with one molecule sandwiched between a gold and a silver electrode.

The diode was created out of a 1 nm-sized single molecule with high rectification ratios. Ismael Díez Pérez, of the Institute of Bioengineering of Catalonia said that in order to go to the next level of miniaturization, they had to use individual molecules as the active components of the circuits.

This approach favors the assembly of thousands of billions of diodes on a tiny silicon chip, as per Díez Pérez. Scientific studies show that the molecular diode can allow current to go in one direction 4,000 times more than in the opposite direction. This is a much higher rate of efficiency than current diodes in use.

Needless to say the ramifications of that kind of miniaturization and efficiency are mind numbing. The team is now working on elongating the life of the single molecule diode so that it can be comfortably used in commercial applications.