Future Trends in Microelectronics

Discover what's happening in nanoelectronics and where the field is heading

This volume stems from the proceedings of Up the Nano Creek, the fifth workshop in the "Future Trends of Microelectronics" series, held in June of 2006. At this invitation-only workshop, top experts from academia, industry, and government came together to discuss, debate, and analyze the current trends in nanoelectronics. In addition, participants were asked to forecast the future of the field.

Among the topics these experts examined were leading-edge aspects of nanotechnology, MEMs, quantum computing, the physical limits of Si CMOS, microlithography, nanoelectronic circuits, and silicon photonics. Their contributions are grouped into four parts:

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Part I, Physics, delves into such fundamental and controversial issues as "perfect lensing" in negative refraction materials, the feasibility of quantum computing, and the foundations of laser theory.
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Part II, Biology, includes fascinating and thought-provoking papers on topics such as synthetic biology and micro-array brain implants.
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Part III, Electronics, examines the economic prospects of nanomanufacturing, lithography at the crossroads, and the future of non-silicon materials like carbon nanotube transistors.
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Part IV, Photonics, includes a foray into silicon-based photonics and cutting-edge papers on the generation and applications of terahertz radiation.

Given the cutting-edge nature of the topics, you won't find consensus among the experts, but rather a variety of opinions and critical analyses of the latest findings and trends in the field. Collectively, the topics covered in this volume will have a fundamental impact on such industries as communications, biology, medicine, and manufacturing. If you want to understand how nanoelectronics is shaping the future of these industries, Future Trends in Microelectronics: Up the Nano Creek needs to be on your reading list.