Applications of Electronically Detecting and Precisely Directing Single-molecule Binding Events on H-Si(100)

Many new material systems are being explored to enable smaller, more energy efficient and capable electronic devices. In the extreme size limits, approaches for atomic and molecular electronics, quantum computation, and data storage all rely on a well-developed understanding of the behaviour of materials at the atomic scale. Here, we report a scanning tunneling microscope (STM) technique to electronically detect single molecule binding events to atomically defined reactive sites on a hydrogen-terminated silicon surface. This technique reduces the influence of the typically perturbative STM tip field, creating an improved tool to study the integration of molecules into devices. We then demonstrate the application of atomically precise binding as a new tool in hydrogen lithography to not only correct fabrication errors, but also act as the primary means of rewriting information in new ultra-dense atomic memory designs.