Determination of performance on tunnel conduction through molecular wire using a conductive atomic force microscope

Performance of nonresonant tunnel conduction through a self-assembled monolayer of conjugated molecules fabricated on gold (111) was determined by virtue of nanometer-scale electrical probe measurement using a conductive atomic force microscope. Electrical measurements with nanometer spatial resolution enabled mapping of tunnel current as well as efficiency of tunnel conduction through molecular wire by analyzing length dependence on current. A series of conjugated molecules with different numbers of oligothiophene rings proved to possess a high tunnel-conduction efficiency.