NanoElectronics
Nanotechnology holds some answers for how we might increase the capabilities of electronics devices while we reduce their weight and power consumption. Some of the areas under development, which you can explore in more detail by following the links provided in the next section, include:
Researchers are looking into the following nanotechnology projects for electronics:
Using electrodes made from nanowires that would enable flat panel displays to be flexible as well as thinner than current flat panel displays.
Using MEMS techniques to control an array of probes whose tips have a radius of a few nanometers. These probes are used to write and read data onto a polymer film, with the aim of producing memory chips with a density of one terabyte per square inch or greater.
Using carbon nanotubes to direct electrons to illuminate pixels, resulting in a lightweight, millimeter thick "nanoemmissive" display panel.
Making integrated circuits with features that can be measured in nanometers (nm), such as the process that will soon allow the production of integrated circuits with 45 nm wide transistor gates.
Using nanosized magnetic rings to make Magnetoresistive Random Access Memory (MRAM) which research has indicated may allow memory density of 400 GB per square inch.
Developing molecular-sized transistors which may allow us to shrink the width of transistor gates to approximately one nm which will significantly increase transistor density in integrated circuits.
Using self-aligning nanostructures to manufacture nanoscale integrated circuits.
| Company | Products or Projects |
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Nanoemmissive displays |
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Magnetoresistive Random Access Memory (MRAM) |
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| Nanochip | Memory chips that use nano-scale probe tips to read and write data |
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Self-assembled nanostructures |
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Nanophotonics |
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| Intel | Integrated circuits with nano-sized features |
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California Molecular Electronics Corp. |
Molecule sized switches and other devices |
Center for Nanoscale Materials at Argonne National Lab
Center for Integrated Nanotechnologies at Sandia and Los Alamos National Labs
Nanoelectronics Research Initiative
Center for Electron Transport in Molecular Nanostructures at Columbia University