Richard Kiehl explores device concepts, self-assembly techniques and circuit architectures for nanometer-scale electronics for information processing, signal processing, and sensing applications. A recent theme in his research is the exploration of novel concepts at the interface between electronics and biology. This includes work on nanoscale circuitry based on radically different approaches for information processing in which the electrical phase of a dynamical process is used to represent states in arrays of ultrasmall devices. He investigates device concepts for nanoscale circuitry based on single-electron effects and spin magnetic moment in nanoparticles and on nonlinear behavior in organic molecules. These studies include nanotube and nanowire FET’s, which utilize novel e-beam lithography and scanning probe techniques for fabrication and characterization. Ultra-small metal-molecule-metal junctions are also of interest because of their potential for realizing self-assembled circuitry at the single or few molecule level. An example of his research at the electronics and biology is the use of DNA as a scaffolding for self-assembling nanoparticles, nanowires, and molecules into electronic circuitry. This approach promises the integration of devices at densities far beyond those possible with lithographic techniques. His work includes collaborative studies of the electronic properties of nanoparticle arrays self-assembled by DNA, peptides and protein structures. While Kiehl’s work is primarily aimed at information processing applications, he is also interested in exploiting the unique characteristics of nanoscale devices (e.g., sub-electron charge sensitivity in single electron transistors and magnetic & plasmonic interactions in nanoparticle arrays) for biomolecular sensing and imaging applications.
