ULTRA-LOW CONDUCTIVITY THROUGH INSULATING SELF-ASSEMBLED ORGANIC MONOLAYERS

We demonstrate that monolayers made of organic molecules (long chain h ydrocarbons) as thin as to 1.9 nm form high performance electrically i nsulating barriers. Leakage current densities of the order of 10(-8) t o 10(-7) A/cm(2) have been obtained. The energy barrier height to elec tron is so high (3.6 eV) that the tunnelling current through these mon olayers is negligible. These properties put such ultra-thin organic mo nolayers on a par with 4 to 5 nm thick silicon dioxide, and enable us to envision possible applications in sub-0.1 mu m channel length MISFE T devices.