As silicon-based electronics approach fundamental limits, researchers are turning to molecules as the smallest possible functional devices. Molecular electronics replaces conventional transistors with individual molecules that control current through quantum effects rather than classical charge flow. Recent progress shows that molecular switches, diodes, and transistors can now be built more reliably and measured more reproducibly than ever before. Advances in fabrication and interface control have reduced long-standing instability and variability issues. Together, these developments suggest that molecular electronics is moving beyond proof-of-concept experiments and toward practical architectures capable of supporting ultra-dense, low-power electronic systems beyond today's semiconductor technologies.
Beyond Silicon: Electronics at the Scale of a Single Molecule
