Nanotechnology is the buzzword these days. This book provides a broad overview
of nanotechnology as applied to contemporary electronics and photonics. The
areas of application described are typical of what originally set off the nanotechnology
revolution. An account of original research contributions from researchers all
over the world, the book is extremely valuable for gaining an understanding
of the latest developments in applied nanotechnology. Clearly structured and
readable, the book is useful for both students and researchers alike: students
can learn about the various aspects of nanotechnology and professional researchers
can update themselves on the new developments in this dynamic field.
The book covers nanoscale materials and devices for both electronics and optical
technologies. The emphasis throughout is on experimental methods rather than
theoretical modeling. The material will provide food for thought for researchers
and research students keen to develop new technologies at the ultra-small scale
and to open up new avenues for research.
For many years now, engineering at the very small scale has remained the driving
force behind a significant share of the global economy. Over the past four decades,
microelectronic devices have proliferated and their myriad uses have increasingly
defined our modern lifestyles. Throughout the microelectronics era, the sizes
of individual devices integrated on semiconductor chips have been steadily reduced.
With this trend still continuing, a future is in sight when we shall reach the
end of the road for conventional device miniaturization. This will come about
both as a result of the graininess of matter and the quantum mechanical nature
of physical phenomena that become evident at very small length scales. Although
the limitations would principally come from material science and physics, their
repercussions would be largely economical. In order to keep the semiconductor
industry profitable, new materials, processing techniques and device architectures
will be needed. At the time of this writing we have about ten years to prepare
for a graceful handover to alternative technologies. By all accounts, these
futuristic technologies will exploit the physics and technology of novel devices
whose dimensions will be measured in nanometers - 1 nanometer being one
billionth of a meter. Structures and devices at this scale are already at the
heart of modern technology and these are going to play increasingly important
roles in the future. Nanotechnology - the engineering discipline concerned
with studying and fabricating such ultra small objects is now a thriving field
in applied sciences and is attracting more researchers and funding throughout
the world. Several countries have made nanotechnology funding a very high priority
in their budget allocations, as an appreciation for its potential has grown
in recent years. Developed countries as well as a number of developing countries
see much promise from nanotechnology in fields as diverse as information technology
and health care.
The interdisciplinary nature of nanotechnology is perhaps the most noticeable
feature of this new field. The nano world can be approached from several different
disciplines such as materials science, electronics, physics, chemistry and biology.
This creates new opportunities for scientists and engineers as well as policy
makers. It is clear that explorations and innovations in this realm will open
up entirely new Nanostructures in Electronics and Photonics possibilities. This
is good news for a world that is increasingly short of non-renewable sources
of both materials and energy. Recognizing the potential of nanotechnology, many
companies have started research in this field and more are joining them every
year. Universities too are increasingly active in this area. As researchers
we need to have a broad understanding of what our fellow researchers are doing
elsewhere. This book is geared towards satisfying that need. Nanotechnology
being such a wide discipline, this book is only concerned with its applications
in electronics and photonics and in that too it looks at only a narrow selection
of topics. The book contains a selection of 16 chapters contributed by a number
of research teams around the world. They have especially expanded and adapted
these chapters from papers published by them in the recent past.
After the introductory chapter the book is divided into two parts. The first
is comprised of works that deal with electronic applications of nanotechnology
whereas the following part is constituted of nanotechnology applications in
pushing the frontiers of photonic technologies. The chapters are focused on
experimental aspects of nanotechnology rather than theoretical studies or computer
modeling. All the contributors are active researchers in their fields of specialization
and thus this book provides an up-to-date survey of the state of contemporary
nanotechnology. The publisher, editor and contributors hope that it will be
useful to both students and professional researchers alike.
Key Features:
- Wide coverage of research topics and written with a high pedagogical value
that could be used as an advanced graduate textbook
- Authoritative descriptions of cutting-edge research from leading researchers
- Inclusion of extensive bibliographic information