Patent ID: 6916740

Claim:
A method of forming smooth polycrystalline silicon electrodes for molecular electronic devices, said method comprising: depositing a silicon layer in an amorphous form; forming a native oxide on a surface of said amorphous silicon layer, said native oxide formed by exposing said surface to an oxidizing species for a period of time at a temperature between room temperature and 500° C.; converting said amorphous silicon to polycrystalline silicon by heat-treating at a temperature in a range of 600° to 800° C. for a period of time in a range of 1 minute to 24 hrs, with higher temperatures associated with shorter times, in an inert atmosphere to thereby form said smooth polycrystalline silicon electrodes; depositing a layer of switch molecules on said silicon electrodes; and forming electrodes over said layer of switch molecules to form said molecular electronic devices.