Room-temperature-concerted switch made of a binary atom cluster

Single-atom/molecule manipulation for fabricating an atomic-scale switching device is a promising technology for nanoelectronics. So far, scanning probe microscopy studies have demonstrated several atomic-scale switches, mostly in cryogenic environments. Although a high-performance switch at room te...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Nature communications 2015-02, Vol.6 (1), p.6231-6231, Article 6231
Main Authors: Inami, Eiichi, Hamada, Ikutaro, Ueda, Keiichi, Abe, Masayuki, Morita, Seizo, Sugimoto, Yoshiaki
Format: Article
Language:English
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Summary:Single-atom/molecule manipulation for fabricating an atomic-scale switching device is a promising technology for nanoelectronics. So far, scanning probe microscopy studies have demonstrated several atomic-scale switches, mostly in cryogenic environments. Although a high-performance switch at room temperature is essential for practical applications, this remains a challenging obstacle to overcome. Here we report a room-temperature switch composed of a binary atom cluster on the semiconductor surface. Distinctly different types of manipulation techniques enable the construction of an atomically defined binary cluster and the electronic switching of the conformations, either unidirectionally or bidirectionally. The switching process involves a complex rearrangement of multiple atoms in concerted manner. Such a feature is strikingly different from any switches mediated by single-atom/molecule processes that have been previously reported.
ISSN:2041-1723
2041-1723
DOI:10.1038/ncomms7231