Large Spatially Resolved Rectification in a Donor-Acceptor Molecular Heterojunction

Joseph A. Smerdon, Noel C. Giebink, Nathan P. Guisinger, Pierre Darancet*, Jeffrey R. Guest

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

21 Scopus citations

Abstract

We demonstrate that rectification ratios (RR) of ≳250 (≳1000) at biases of 0.5 V (1.2 V) are achievable at the two-molecule limit for donor-acceptor bilayers of pentacene on C60 on Cu using scanning tunneling spectroscopy and microscopy. Using first-principles calculations, we show that the system behaves as a molecular Schottky diode with a tunneling transport mechanism from semiconducting pentacene to Cu-hybridized metallic C60. Low-bias RRs vary by two orders-of-magnitude at the edge of these molecular heterojunctions due to increased Stark shifts and confinement effects.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)2603-2607
Number of pages5
JournalNano letters
Volume16
Issue number4
DOIs
StatePublished - Apr 13 2016

Funding

Use of the Center for Nanoscale Materials, an Office of Science user facility, was supported by the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Science, Office of Basic Energy Sciences, under Contract No. DE-AC02-06CH11357. Primary support for this work was provided by the Department of Energy Office of Basic Energy Sciences (SISGR Grant DE-FG02-09ER16109). J.A.S. acknowledges support through the U.K. Science and Innovation Network and Department for Business, Innovation, and Skills.

Keywords

  • DFT
  • Pentacene
  • STM
  • STS
  • Schottky
  • fullerene
  • rectification

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General Chemistry
  • Condensed Matter Physics
  • Mechanical Engineering
  • Bioengineering
  • General Materials Science

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