Room Temperature Negative Differential Resistance through Individual Organic Molecules on Silicon Surfaces

Room temperature negative differential resistance (NDR) has been measured through individual organic molecules on degenerately doped Si(100) surfaces using ultrahigh vacuum scanning tunneling microscopy (STM). For styrene molecules on n-type Si(100), NDR is observed only for negative sample bias because positive sample bias leads to electron stimulated desorption. By replacing styrene with a saturated organic molecule (2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-1-piperidinyloxy), electron stimulated desorption is not observed at either bias polarity. In this case, NDR is observed only for negative sample bias on n-type Si(100) and for positive sample bias on p-type Si(100). This unique behavior is consistent with a resonant tunneling mechanism via molecular orbitals and opens new possibilities for silicon-based molecular electronic devices and chemical identification with STM at the single-molecule level.