Boffins move step closer to biochips

Chemists at New York University (NYU) have worked out a mechanism by which organic molecules can attach to the surface of semiconductors.

The breakthrough could have far-reaching implications for the semiconductor industry, according to the academics, which has for some time been seeking ways to bond organic molecules to semiconductors.

Possible future uses for the technology could include improvement of human/computer interaction and the creation of applications such as biochips.

NYU associate professor Mark Tuckerman, graduate student Peter Minary and postdoctoral researcher Radu Iftimie examined how an organic molecule called Butadiene binds to a particular silicon surface using first-principles computer-based models.

The researchers claimed that the mechanism could be used to predict how other organic molecules will attach to the surface and what products might be expected.

They also "reverse engineered" an organic molecule using only their computer model that was found to undergo the reverse reaction - a detachment from the surface - more easily than the original Butadiene used in the attachment studies.

According to the scientists, the findings suggest that the reaction chemistry at the semiconductor surface can be controlled by designing or tailoring molecules that exhibit specific desired properties in the reactions they undergo.