Republic of Yemen

Sana'a University
Faculty of Engineering
Electrical Engineering Department

communication Section

Nanoelectronics

Prepared by:
Mahmoud Nasooh Naser Alqousi (460/2012)
Supervisor:
Dr.Abdullsalam Al-Kholidi

CONTENTS
ABSTRACT

1. Introduction

1.1 Nanoelectronics

1.2 Foundemental concepts

1.3Approaches to nanoelectronics

1.3.1 Nanofabrication

1.3.2 Nanomaterials electronics

2. Reducing transistor size

2.1 Nanowire FET

2.2 Quantum dots transistors

4. Nanoelectronics applications

5. Limitations of nanoelectronics

6. Conclusion

REFERENCES

Abstract
The last few decades has seen an exponential growth in the electronic devices capabilities
due primarily to a decrease in the size of the transistors and therefore the ICs on these
devices . Nanoelectronics holds the promise of making electronic devices more powerful
than are possible with conventional semiconductor fabrication techniques. our goal in this
work is to understand the meaning of nanoelectronics , and to study and explain the
approaches used by nanotechnology researchers to make smaller transistors and therefore
smaller electronic devices , also to give some applications of the nanoelectronics for
some important fields , and discuss the limitations associated with it.
Keywords: electronic devices capabilities , nanotechnology, nanoelectronics ,
fabrication , integrated circuits (ICs) , transistors .

1.Introduction :
Electronic devices have seen a sustained exponential decrease in size and cost and a
similar increase in performance and level of integration over the last thirty years , this is
mainly due to the decrease in the transistors size [1], since the transistors are the basic
elements of building all ICs , CPUs and memory storage chips .
The resulting doubling of transistors number every 18 months (known as Moores Law) is,
however, expected to break down for conventional microelectronics in about 15 years for
both fundamental and economic reasons . The search is on, therefore, for new solutions to
reduce the transistors size and the electronic devices. One of the promising solutions is
the use of nanotechnology in the electronics field .

1.1 Nanoelectronics :
Nanoelectronics refer to the use of nanotechnology concepts and techniques in electronic
components. So these electronic components, especially transistors, employ
nanotechnology to take advantage of the novel properties enabled by the nanoscale. [2].
In 1965 Gordon Moore observed that silicon transistors were undergoing a continual
process of scaling downward, an observation which was later codified as Moore's law.
Since his observation transistor minimum feature sizes have decreased from 10
micrometers to the 28-22 nm range in 2011. The field of nanoelectronics aims to enable
the continued realization of this law by using new methods and materials to build
electronic devices with feature sizes on the nanoscale.
1

1.2 Fundamental concepts :

The nanometre scale is about a billionth of a metre
and things this small can behave quite weirdly.
These unusual physical and chemical
characteristics come about because there is an
increase in surface area compared to volume (as
illustrated in Figure 1 . as particles get smaller and
also because they are subject to quantum effects.
This means they can behave in different ways and
do not follow the same laws of physics that larger
objects do [3].
Figure 1. Surface Area to Volume Ratio

1.3 Approaches to nanoelectronics :

There are several ways in the the design and manufacture of
devices at nanoscles . these the two most important
Approaches:

1) Nanofabrication :
Nanofabrication is the design and manufacture of devices with
dimensions measured in nanometers. One nanometer is
10 -9 meter, or a millionth of a millimeter. Nanofabrication is of
interest to computer engineers because it opens the door to
super-high-density microprocessors and memory chips. It has
Figure 2. Schematic of the single-atom
been suggested that each data bit could be stored in
transistor
single atom as shown in Figure 2.

2) Nanomaterials Electronics :
Nanomaterials are defined as materials with at least one external dimension in the size
range from approximately 1-100 nanometers [4] .
So the Nanomaterials can be used to implement the desired structures for different
electronic applications for example :
Nanowires and nanotubes are used to produce MOSFET transistors that are very small
and very efficient .

2. Shrinking Transistors size using nanotechnology :

The importance of reducing transistor size comes from the fact that transistors are the
basic elements for building all kind of electronic devices in this age for example :all kind
of CPUs are essentially a huge arrangement of these transistors , also transistors are used
to build all kind of logic circuits (simple or complex) which are used to build all kind of
ICs such as (encoders and decoders),(multiplexers and de multiplexers) and so on [5,6].
Also they are used to build the registers and other kind of memories .
there are some ways available to accomplish this by using nanotechnology :

1) nanowire FET :
Using a nanowire as the channel of the
FET is a method that researchers are
exploring to make even more progress in
reducing current leakage. A nanowire
transistor is shown in Figure 3.
It consists of a nanowire made of
semiconducting material connecting the
source and drain of the transistor, with a
gate controlling the current flow through the

Figure 3 . The structure nanowire FET.

nanowire.
Using a nanowire as the channel allows you to
completely wrap the gate around the channel.
This should allow the voltage applied to the gate
to have even more control over the channel than
when using the finFET. This vertical structure
also saves space, allowing a higher density of
transistors on a chip. Millions or billions of
vertical nanowires could be grown on a
substrate as shown on the Figure 4.

2) Quantum dots transistors :

Figure 4 . Array of nanowire transistors

Researchers have demonstrated that they can build

transistors in which quantum dots form the channel through which current flows. .
That channel can be as small as 4 nanometers.

3. Applications of nanoelectronics :
Nenoelctronics have enormous number of applications in all kind of electronic devices
and it touches all aspects of life , some of these applications are still under
experimentation and others had been produced and are already in use in our life .
we are considering below some of the most important applications :

1) Memory Storage :
Electronic memory designs in the past have largely relied
on the formation of transistors. However, research
into nano electronics have offered an alternative using
reconfigurable interconnections between vertical and
horizontal wiring arrays to create ultra high density
memories. Two leaders in this area are Nantero which has
developed a carbon nanotube based crossbar memory
called nano-RAMs .as shown in Figure 6 . and HewlettPackard which has proposed the use of memristor material as
a future replacement of Flash memory.

Figure 6 . nano-RAMs [7]

2) Displays :
The production of displays with low energy consumption
might be accomplished using carbon nanotubes (CNT) which
shown in Figure 7. Carbon nanotubes are electrically
conductive and due to their small diameter of several
nanometers, they can be used as field emitters with extremely
high efficiency for field emission displays (FED). The
principle of operation resembles that of the cathode ray tube,
but on a much smaller length scale [8]. Also it makes it
possible to manufacture larger and more flexible OLED
displays.

Figure 7. nanotubes shape

3) Quantum Computers :
Entirely new approaches for computing exploit the laws of
quantum mechanics for novel quantum computers, which
enable the use of fast quantum algorithms. The Quantum
computer has quantum bit memory space termed "Qubit" for
several computations at the same time. This facility may
improve the performance of the older systems . Figure 8
Shows a possible picture for the quantum computers in the
future.

Figure 8. Quantum Computers

4) Radios :
A nanoradio is considered as the Smallest Radio Receiver in
the World , its basicly a radio receiver or transmitter
constructed on a nanometer scale. Currently only receivers
have been developed and they are structured around
a carbon nanotube . Figure 9 gives a simplified model of the
nanoradio [10] .
Figure 9. simplified model of
nanoradio

5) Energy Production :
Research is ongoing to use nanowires and other nanostructured materials with the hope to
create cheaper and more efficient solar cells than are possible with conventional planar
silicon solar cells [11]. It is believed that the invention of more efficient solar energy
would have a great effect on satisfying global energy needs.

6) Medical Diagnostics :
There is great interest in constructing
nanoelectronic devices that could detect the
concentrations of biomolecules 1 in real time for
use as medical diagnostics, thus falling into the
category of nanomedicine. A parallel line of
research seeks to create nanoelectronic devices
which could interact with single cells for use in
basic biological research. These devices are
called nanosensors as shown in Figure 10 [12] .
Figure 10. nanosensores

1 An organic compound normally present as an essential component of

living organism.

4. Limitations of nanoelectronics : [13,14]

1) Temperature:
Constantly breaking and reforming bonds as well as the friction caused by millions
of nanobots is likely to produce a large amount of heat.

2) Efficiency:
Sure machines are versatile but because they work on such a small scale they may run
into issues competing with other technologies .

3) Material Limitations:
Another problem with nanotechnology is the scale it works on: small, highly complex
nanomachines are probably awesome at building things with carbon, but uranium weights
about 20 times more and is radioactive.

4) Non-static objects:
The problems in trying to synthesize livings things as already been discussed so I won't
go into it again.

5) Uncontrolled environment:
Nanites would likely have a hard time building something in a hostile environment. Your
workforce might be billions of tiny robots strong but in a martian sandstorm they will
likely be unable to finish the job

6) Resources Required:
Given that a maker does not make something out of nothing maybe certain devices
require special feed stocks.

5. Conclusion :
Nanotechnology, and in particular, nanoelectronics, is a topic of great importance and
urgency these days. The current CMOS transistor architecture is expected to reach its
limit some time around 2020. When that day comes, nanoelectronic technologies must be
ready for prime time. The extensive research and development projects currently under
way around the world will play a critical role in ensuring that goal is realized. While any
discoveries may not translate into commercially viable devices just yet, they do serve to
advance the study of nanoelectronics and the possible features it may enable in nextgeneration electronic devices. Whatever todays researchers develop will undoubtedly
end up benefitting the chip industry in ways that can not yet even be imagined.

REFERENCES

Websites
[1] http://www.physics.mcgill.ca/~peter/nanoelectronics.htm
[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nanoelectronics
[3] http://sciencelearn.org.nz/Contexts/Nanoscience/Science-Ideas-andConcepts/Nanometres-and-nanoscale
[4]https://web.stanford.edu/dept/EHS/prod/researchlab/IH/nano/what_are_nanomaterials.
html
[5]http://www.academia.edu/3009749/A_Simulation_Study_of_Silicon_Nanowire_Field
_Effect_Transistors_FETs_
[6]http://www.researchgate.net/publication/3075181_Planar_bulk_MOSFETs_versus_Fi
nFETs_an_analogRF_perspective
[7] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nano-RAM
[8] http://www.nanowerk.com/nanotechnology-in-displays.php
[9] https://books.google.com
[10] http://thefutureofthings.com/3474-nanoradio-smallest-radio-receiver-in-the-world/
[11] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Energy_applications_of_nanotechnology
[12] http://www.mdlab.com/

Books
[13] Introduction to the Physics of Nanoelectronics , published in September 19,2012
by ( Mansoor B. A Jalil) .
[14] Nanoelctronic device applications HandBook , published in october 25,2011
by ( James E.Mores ) .