Study of molecular spin-crossover complex Fe(phen)2(NCS)2 thin films

Shengwei Shi (1) , G. Schmerber (1) , J. Arabski (1) , J.-B. Beaufrand (1) , D. J. Kim (1) , S. Boukari (1) , M. Bowen (1) , N. T. Kemp (1) , N. Viart (1) , G. Rogez (1) , E. Beaurepaire (1) , H. Aubriet (2) , J. Petersen (2) , C. Becker (2) , D. Ruch (2)

1 IPCMS - Institut de Physique et Chimie des Matériaux de Strasbourg
2 LTI - Laboratoire de technologies industrielles

We report on the growth by evaporation under high vacuum of high-quality thin films of Fe(phen)2(NCS)2 (phen=1,10-phenanthroline) that maintain the expected electronic structure down to a thickness of 10 nm and that exhibit a temperature-driven spin transition. We have investigated the current-voltage characteristics of a device based on such films. From the space charge-limited current regime, we deduce a mobility of 6.5x10-6 cm2/V∙s that is similar to the low-range mobility measured on the widely studied tris(8-hydroxyquinoline)aluminium organic semiconductor. This work paves the way for multifunctional molecular devices based on spin-crossover complexes.

Domaines: Science des matériaux [cond-mat.mtrl-sci]

Shengwei Shi, G. Schmerber, J. Arabski, J.-B. Beaufrand, D. J. Kim, et al.. Study of molecular spin-crossover complex Fe(phen)2(NCS)2 thin films. Applied Physics Letters, 2009, 95, pp.043303. ⟨10.1063/1.3192355⟩. ⟨hal-00408269⟩