Patent ID: 6946336

Claim:
A method of making a nanoscale electronic device wherein said device comprises a first material selected from the group consisting of conductors and semiconductors; a second material that is an insulator; a third material selected from the group consisting of conductors and semiconductors; and at least one molecular electronic component wherein a gap between about 0.1 nm and about 100 nm exists between said first and third materials and said gap comprises at least one said molecular electronic component and, optionally, a portion of said second material, said method comprising: (a) depositing a quantity of said first material in a given shape and orientation onto a substrate; (b) depositing a quantity of said second material onto said first material in a manner sufficient to obtain a uniform layer of desired thickness of said second material on said first material; (c) depositing a quantity of said third material onto said second material in a given shape and orientation such that when viewed from at least one direction said first, second and third materials share a common area of intersection; (d) removing at least a portion of the second material in such a manner as to create a gap between said first and third materials; and (e) adding at least one molecular electronic component to said gap; and wherein said first material is a conductor comprising at least one selected from the group consisting of titanium, titanium nitride, zirconium, hafnium, vanadium, niobium, tantalum, tantalum nitride, chromium, tungsten, molybdenum, cobalt, rhodium, iridium, nickel, palladium, platinum, copper, silver, gold, aluminum and any combination thereof.