MOLECULAR ELECTRONICS

Molecular electronics is a multidisciplinary as well as interdisciplinary scientific endeavour having in-built definite urge for developing technology for device fabrication. The devices can be based on chemical and mesoscopic properties of molecules of organic or biological origin. Inspiration for exploring molecular materials for device fabrication came from the relentless decrease in the size of conventional microelectronic components and obvious limitations imposed by quantum size and thermal effects. However, the term ''electronics'' is more of a ''generic'' nature and does not strictly imply utilization of electron motions for information processing. Molecules are known to possess more than one well defined stable states, which differ in confomation or charge or proton/ion content, etc. Hence it is envisaged that controlled manipulation of movement of protons, ions, solitons, polarons, etc., can be gainfully utilized for device performance. Molecular electronics is a relatively young science initiated in late 1970's. It has a lot of promise and options available. A brief review of the present status will be presented with a particular focus on material development and interfacing of molecular micro world with the solid state macro world.