Molecular memories that survive silicon device processing and real-world operation

If molecular components are to be used as functional elements in place of the semiconductor-based devices present in conventional microcircuitry, they must compete with semiconductors under the extreme conditions required for processing and operating a practical device. Herein, we demonstrate that porphyrin-based molecules bound to Si( 100), which exhibit redox behavior useful for information storage, can meet this challenge. These molecular media in an inert atmosphere are stable under extremes of temperature ( 400 degreesC) for extended periods ( approaching 1 hour) and do not degrade under large numbers of read-write cycles (10(12)).