Method of making information storage devices by molecular photolithography

Abstract

A photolithographic method of making an information storage device having different storage characteristics at a plurality of discrete memory locations thereon, comprises the steps of: (a) providing a substrate having a surface portion, said surface portion having a linking group coupled thereto or charge storage group coupled thereto, said linking group or charge storage group having a photocleavable protecting group thereon; (b) exposing at least one first discrete segment of said surface portion to radiant energy sufficient to cleave said protecting group from said linking group or charge storage group and generate a deprotected group, so that said group is deprotected in at least one first discrete memory location and preferably said group remains protected in at least one second discrete memory location. Additional groups are then coupled to the deprotected group as desired. Products produced by such methods are also described.

1 . An information storage device produced by the process of: 
 (a) providing a substrate having a surface portion, said surface portion having a linking group coupled thereto, said linking group having a photocleavable protecting group thereon;    (b) exposing at least one first discrete segment of said surface portion to radiant energy sufficient to cleave said protecting group from said linking group and generate a deprotected linking group, so that said linking group is deprotected in at least one first discrete memory location and said linking group remains protected in at least one second discrete memory location;    (c) coupling a first charge storage group to said deprotected linking group at said at least one first discrete memory location;    (d) exposing at least one of said second discrete memory location to radiant energy sufficient to cleave said protecting group from said linking group and generate a deprotected linking group in said at least one second discrete memory location; and then    (e) coupling a second charge storage group to said linking group at said at least one second discrete memory location, wherein said second charge storage group is different from said first charge storage group, to thereby produce an information storage device having different storage characteristics at a plurality of discrete memory locations.    
   
   
       2 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein said first charge storage group consists essentially of a charge storage molecule.  
   
   
       3 . The device of claim  0 . 1 , wherein said first charge storage group comprises a charge storage molecule coupled to at least one ancillary group, said ancillary group selected from the group consisting of linking groups, electrolyte groups, and charge storage molecules.  
   
   
       4 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein said first exposing step is carried out by masking.  
   
   
       5 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein said first exposing step is carried out by maskless photolithography.  
   
   
       6 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein said radiant energy is selected from the group consisting of electron beam and x-ray energy.  
   
   
       7 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein said radiant energy is selected from the group consisting of near-infrared light, infrared light, visible light, ultraviolet light, and extreme-ultraviolet light.  
   
   
       8 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein said linking group is directly coupled to said surface portion.  
   
   
       9 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein said linking group is coupled to said surface portion through an intermediate charge storage group.  
   
   
       10 . An information storage device produced by the process of claim: 
 (a) providing a substrate having a surface portion, said surface portion having a charge storage group coupled thereto, said charge storage group having a photocleavable protecting group thereon;    (b) exposing at least one first discrete segment of said surface portion to radiant energy sufficient to cleave said protecting group from said charge storage group and generate a deprotected charge storage group, so that said charge storage group is deprotected in said at least one first discrete memory location and said charge storage group remains protected in at least one second discrete memory location;    (c) coupling a first ancillary group to said charge storage group at said at least one first discrete memory location;    (d) exposing at least one of said second discrete memory location to radiant energy sufficient to cleave said protecting group from said charge storage group and generate a deprotected charge storage group in said at least one second discrete memory location; and then    (e) coupling a second ancillary group to said charge storage group at said at least one second discrete memory location, wherein said first ancillary group and said second ancillary group are different, to thereby produce an information storage device having different storage characteristics at a plurality of discrete memory locations.    
   
   
       11 . The device of  claim 10 , wherein said ancillary group is an electrolyte.  
   
   
       12 . The device of  claim 10 , wherein said ancillary group is a linking group.  
   
   
       13 . The device of  claim 10 , wherein said ancillary group is an additional charge storage group.  
   
   
       14 . The device of  claim 10 , wherein said linking group is connected to an electrode at each of said discrete memory locations, said method further comprising the step of coupling a second electrode to said ancillary group at each of said discrete memory locations.  
   
   
       15 . The device of  claim 10 , wherein said first ancillary group is a first linking group and said second ancillary group is a second linking group, said method further comprising the steps of coupling a first conductor to said first linking group and a second conductor to said second linking group, wherein said first and second conductors are different.  
   
   
       16 . The device according to  claim 15 , wherein said first and second linking groups are selected from the group consisting of phosphonate linkers and thiol linkers; and said first and second conductors are selected from the group consisting of metal oxides and gold.  
   
   
       17 . The device of  claim 10 , wherein said first exposing step is carried out by masking.  
   
   
       18 . The device of  claim 10 , wherein said first exposing step is carried out by maskless photolithography.  
   
   
       19 . The device of  claim 10 , wherein said radiant energy is selected from the group consisting of electron beam and x-ray energy.  
   
   
       20 . The device of  claim 10 , wherein said radiant energy is selected from the group consisting of near-infrared light, infrared light, visible light, ultraviolet light, and extreme-ultraviolet light  
   
   
       21 . The device of  claim 10 , wherein said charge storage group is directly coupled to said surface portion.  
   
   
       22 . The device of  claim 10 , wherein said charge group is coupled to said surface portion through an intermediate electrolyte group.  
   
   
       23 . An information storage device having different storage characteristics at a plurality of discrete memory locations thereon, said device comprising: 
 (a) a substrate having a plurality of discrete memory locations formed thereon, with said discrete memory locations formed on said substrate at a density of at least 100 per square centimeter; and    (b) a different charge storage molecule deposited at each of said discrete memory locations, said charge storage molecules comprising at least one porphyrinic macrocycle.    
   
   
       24 . An information storage device according to  claim 23 , further comprising a first electrode electrically associated with said charge storage molecule at each of said discrete memory locations.  
   
   
       25 . An information storage device according to  claim 24 , further comprising a second electrode electrically associated with said charge storage molecule at each of said discrete memory locations.  
   
   
       26 . An information storage device according to  claim 23 , said charge storage molecule further comprising an electrolyte.  
   
   
       27 . An information storage device according to  claim 23 , further comprising an electrolyte deposited at each of said discrete memory locations.  
   
   
       28 . An information storage device according to  claim 23 , with said discrete memory locations formed on said substrate at a density of at least 300 per square centimeter.  
   
   
       29 . An information storage device according to  claim 23 , with said discrete memory locations formed on said substrate at a density of at least 1000 per square centimeter.  
   
   
       30 . An information storage device according to  claim 23 , said charge storage molecule comprising at least one sandwich coordination complex.  
   
   
       31 . A device of  claim 30 , wherein said sandwich coordination complex comprises a double-decker or triple-decker sandwich coordination complex.  
   
   
       32 . A method of electrically storing and retrieving information, comprising the steps of: 
 (a) providing an information storage device having different storage characteristics at a plurality of discrete memory locations thereon, said device comprising (i) a substrate having a plurality of discrete memory locations formed thereon, with said discrete memory locations formed on said substrate at a density of at least 100 per square centimeter; and (ii) a different charge storage molecule deposited at each of said discrete memory locations, said charge storage molecules comprising at least one porphyrinic macrocycle; and    (b) storing an electrical charge at at least one of said discrete memory locations to thereby store information; and then    (c) determining the presence or absence of a stored electrical charge at said at least one discrete memory locations to thereby retrieve said stored information.    
   
   
       33 . A method according to  claim 32 , said information storage device further comprising an electrolyte deposited at each of said discrete memory locations.  
   
   
       34 . A method according to  claim 32 , said information storage device having said discrete memory locations formed on said substrate at a density of at least 300 per square centimeter.  
   
   
       35 . A method according to  claim 32 , said information storage device having said discrete memory locations formed on said substrate at a density of at least 1000 per square centimeter.  
   
   
       36 . A method according to  claim 32 , said charge storage molecule comprising at least one sandwich coordination complex.  
   
   
       37 . A method of  claim 36 , wherein said sandwich coordination complex comprises a double-decker or triple-decker sandwich coordination complex.