ABSTRACT:

Upon contact to electrodes, thin organic layer (1-10 nm) are envisioned as new devices for electronic applications. In this presentation, we will discuss the band diagram of those molecular junctions and how it relates to molecular properties. Importantly, we will show that contacting a molecular layer to electrodes significantly renormalizes the properties of molecules before contact. Therefore, a complete picture of, and further design of, transport in molecular junctions requires to consider the entire device. Design principles with a strong focus on molecular properties are then likely to only provide for limited performances in molecular electronic devices. We will also discuss the capacitive properties of thin organic layers and show how conjugation effects can affect the classical relation between capacitance and thickness in nanoscale organic capacitors.