Bert de Boer and colleagues at the University of Groningen, Netherlands, say the idea of making electronic devices from individual organic molecules, rather than from conventional metals and semiconductors, was first proposed in the 1970s. But researchers have struggled to produce devices that are dependable.

The scientists found a technique for making well-defined molecular junctions, in which organic layers one molecule thick bridge the gap between two metal electrodes. The researchers say their approach is simple, inexpensive, easy to integrate into standard chip fabrication methods, and could pave the way for practical molecular electronics.

The study appears in the current issue of the journal Nature.