Moletronics closes in on silicon

Molecular-scale electronics holds considerable appeal as a way to pack yet more power into integrated circuits. The quest for smaller, faster, and smarter computer chips shows no sign of slowing, yet Si technology may not be able to sustain this voracious appetite for miniaturization forever. The suggestion that organic molecules could instead act as nanoscale switches and memory devices has prompted a raft of theoretical and experimental studies. Yet even committed devotees of this new field remain uncertain about the capacity for ‘moletronics’ to end Si's reign altogether.