preferred zwitterionic molecule is hexadecylquinolinium tricyanoquinodimethanide although other zwitterionic ground state molecules of this type which can become donor and acceptor molecules are acceptable the unimolecular rectifier of this invention is formed on a substrate typically an inert substrate 100 such as silicon glass or quartz the preferred bottom electrode 102 is aluminum although magnesium and other metals have also been used any high vacuum evaporator or film coater can be used such as the edwards el 306a evaporator which uses a multi source rotating stage although the formation of this layer is generally conventional and a variety of conditions can be used typical conditions employ a base pressure of 10 u2212 6 torr with a distance from source to substrate of 20 25 cm thereafter one or more monolayers 104 of a ground state zwitterionic molecule is transferred from the air water interface to the exposed surface of the aluminum formed on the substrate through l b film transfer transfer speeds range from 15 mm min u2212 1 to 45 mm min u2212 1 at the lower speeds the films are z type while at higher speeds the multilayers become y type when depositing heyadecylquinolinium tricyanoquinodimethanide l b film transfer methods are known to those.