Nanoelectronics

Krishna Kumar T.V. Reg. No: 10407088 ECE-B

Slide Organization
What is Nanotechnology? Evolution of Nanotech The Fundamental Principle & Synthesis Why use Nanoparticles in Electronics? The Carbon Nanotube Ongoing Research Challenges Posed The Future

 I want to build a billion tiny factories, models of each other, which are manufacturing simultaneously. . . The principles of physics, as far as I can see, do not speak against the possibility of maneuvering things atom by atom. It is not an attempt to violate any laws; it is something, in principle, that can be done; but in practice, it has not been done because we are too big. Richard Feynman, Nobel Prize winner in physics

What is Nanotechnology?
A relatively new field that involves building electronic circuits and devices from single atoms and molecules Nanotechnology deals with structures sized between 1 to 100 nanometer in at least one dimension, and involves developing materials or devices within that size. Nanotechnology mainly consists of the processing of, separation, consolidation, and deformation of materials by one atom or by one molecule.

Evolution of Nanotech
"There's Plenty of Room at the Bottom" said the Legendary Physicist Dr. Richard Feynman (in 1959) He described a process by which the ability to manipulate individual atoms and molecules might be developed, using one set of precise tools to build and operate another proportionally smaller set, and so on down to the needed scale. Scanning Tunneling Microscope Invented (1980s)

Surface of Gold as seen using a STM.individual atoms composing the surface are visible

 STMs led to the discovery of Fullerenes & Carbon Nanotubes (1991)

 The invention of Atomic Force Microscope (AFM) led to the understanding of properties of semiconductor nanocrystals. This led to the development of increasing number of metal and metal oxide nanoparticles and quantum dots.

The Fundamental Principle

The basic principle of nanotechnology is positional control. This means we can arrange atoms & molecules the way we want and thereby define how they behave.

Synthesis

It's a bit like enzymes: you fix onto a molecule or two, then twist or pull or push in a precise way until a chemical reaction happens right where you want it. This happens in a vacuum, It's a lot more controllable that way. When you bring them close enough, the bond will transfer. This is ordinary chemistry: an atom moving from one molecule to another when they come close enough to each other, and when the movement is energetically favorable. What's different about mechanochemistry is that the tool tip molecule can be positioned by direct computer control, so you can do this one reaction at a wide variety of sites on the surface. Just a few reactions give you a lot of flexibility in what you make.

Why use Nano-particles in electronics?

Nonoelectronics refers to the use of nanotechnology on electronic components, especially transistors. Makes most devices lighter, stronger, smarter, cheaper, cleaner and more precise. The volume of an object decreases as the third power of its linear dimensions, but the surface area only decreases as its second power this has huge ramifications in electronics when we go from the Macro to the Micro scale

 Small and allows more transistors to be packed into a single chip the uniform and symmetrical structure of nanotubes allows a higher electron mobility (faster electron movement in the material), a higher dielectric constant (faster frequency), a symmetrical electron/hole characteristic.

The Carbon Nanotube

Carbon nanotubes are hexagonally shaped arrangements of carbon atoms that have been rolled into tubes. These tiny straw-like cylinders of pure carbon have useful electrical properties. They have already been used to make tiny transistors and one-dimensional copper wire (called nanowire) Produced by vaporizing carbon graphite with an electric arc under an inert atmosphere.

Recent developments in Carbon Nanotubes

Recent development - success in altering carbon nanotubes so that they supply electrons when exposed to light. This was done by having two flat rings of carbon molecules sandwich a ferrocene (iron) molecule. Ferrocene is known for its tendency to relinquish electrons. When exposed to visible light, the carbon atoms accepted the ferrocene molecule. This process is light-induced electron transfer. And is the first step in building solar cells using this technology.

 The ability of carbon nanotubes to serve as electron sources has great potential. Carbon nanotubes may one day replace the metal filaments in X-ray machines, which tend to burn out quickly. Carbon nanotubes also have great significance for use in flat-panel displays, microwave generators, devices for electric surge protection, and high intensity lamps. Using Carbon Nanotubes in Lithium Batteries Can Dramatically Improve Energy Capacity

Important Properties of the Carbon Nanotube

A single-walled carbon nanotube (one atom thick) provides the possibility to fabricate devices on an atomic and molecular scale. much stronger than steel wire, are the perfect conductor (better than silver), and have thermal conductivity better than diamond. Two slightly displaced (twisted) nanotube molecules, joined end to end, act as the diode.

 nano-tube electromagnetic properties depends on diameter and degree of the molecule twist. If the graphite sheet forming the single-wall carbon nanotube is rolled up perfectly (all its hexagons line up along the molecules axis), the nanotube is a perfect conductor. If the graphite sheet rolls up at a twisted angle, the nanotube exhibits the semiconductor properties.

Unique Applications of the Carbon Nanotube

can be organized as large-scale complex neural networks to perform computing and data storage, sensing and actuation, etc. The density of ICs designed and manufactured using the carbon nanotube technology thousands time exceed the density of ICs developed using conventional silicon and silicon-carbide technologies.

A Major Disadvantage

Nano-materials cannot be used for Mechanical or Electrical devices because at the nano-scale, frictional forces start to exceed the available power (which is inversely proportional to the volume of the nano-material used).

Ongoing Research
Single molecule devices An answer to the bugs in FPGA Make heavy use of molecular selfassembly, designing the device components to construct a larger structure or even a complete system on their own. Can be very useful for reconfigurable computing May even completely replace present FPGA technology.

Other Nano-electronic Devices

Recent Development - single electron transistors were fabricated involves transistor operation based on a single electron. Nanoelectromechanical systems also falls under this category.

Challenges Quantum Mechanics takes over makes things unpredictable As we approach the nano scale, behavior of particles no longer controlled by Classical Physics

What nanotech can do

Lifesaving Medical Robots Networked Computer for everyone in the world Trillions of dollars of abundance Rapid invention of wondrous products Untraceable Weapons of Mass destruction No more privacy A vicious scramble to own everything Weapons development fast enough to destabilize any arms race

The Future
One primary goal of nanotechnology is to build computer chips and other devices that are thousands of times smaller than they are now. The Next Industrial Revolution!!

The Next Big Step

Computers

Automobiles Railways Steam Engines (Middle Ages)

Time

The Next Big Step

Nanotechnology Computers

Automobiles Railways Steam Engines (Middle Ages)

Time

The Next Big Step

Nanotechnology
Computers

Automobiles Railways Steam Engines (Middle Ages)

Time

References www.crnano.org (Centre for Nanotech Research (CRN)) www.en.wikipedia.org www.howstuffworks.com

Thank You