Nanoelectronics challenges for the 21st century

Abstract

Leading edge CMOS technologies today are unique examples of nanoscale engineering at an industrial scale. As we celebrate this remarkable achievement of our industry that forms the ever-expanding technology basis of modern society we cannot help but ponder the question of how we can continue to push the envelope of nanoelectronics. With the end of Si FET scaling appearing increasingly near, searching for more scalable transistor structures in Si and in “beyond-Si” solutions has become imperative; from relatively “easy” transitions to nonplanar Si structures, to the incorporation of high mobility semiconductors, like Ge and III-V’s, to even higher mobility new materials such as carbon nanotubes, graphene, or other molecular structures. And even further, there are searches for new information representation and processing concepts beyond charge in FETs, as for example, in spin-state devices. Of course, declaring silicon dead is premature at best, and with this in mind I will discuss the challenges and possible scenaria for the introduction of novel nano-electronic devices.