Nanoelectronics, nanooptoelectronics, and information nanoprocessing

Text 1B

Read text 1B and answer the questions after the text

Memorize the following basic vocabulary and terminology to text 1B

1. be fraught with – быть сопряженным с;

2. surface-nanodevice chemical contacts – химические контакты с поверхностным нанослоем;

3. be aimed to/towards – направленный на, преследовать цель;

4. Coulomb blockage[2] – Кулоновская блокада;

5. scanning probe tips in arrays – концы многоэлементного датчика для сканирования (поверхности);

6. LED – светодиод (Light Emitting Diode)

7. stepwise burning of layers – поэтапный выжиг слоев;

8. chirality control – хиральное управление (отсутствие зеркальной поверхности);

9. to allow for – предусматривать, учитывыать;

10. Y junction nanotubes – соединенные по вертикали нанотрубки;

11. confinement – удержание, сдерживание;

12. bottom-up approach – принцип восходящего анализа (от простых элементов к сложным);

13. top-down approach – принцип нисходящего анализа (от сложных элементов к простым);

14. resonant tunneling devices – устройство с резонансным туннелированием;

15. multivalued logic – многозначная логика, многозначные логические схемы;

16. supramolecular chemistry – супрамолекулярная химия;

17. spintronic[3] memory – магнитоэлектронная память;

18. promising direction – многообещающая область (науки).

One of the most important and far-reaching potential applications of nanomaterials will be in the field of nanoelectronics. While the field of molecular electronics was fraught with some conceptual–practical difficulties in the context of connecting molecular devices to the “outside world”, these issues were solved by nanodevice fabrication, the design of surface-nanodevice chemical contacts, and chemical engineering of molecular-nanoparticles or biomolecular-nanoparticle hybridization. This multidisciplinary research–technology area of nanoelectronics has dual goals:

1. The utilization of a single, individual nanostructure (e.g., cluster, nanoparticle, nanocrystal, quantum dot, nanowire, or nanotube) for the processing of optical, electrical, magnetic, chemical, or biological signals.

2. Providing nanostructured materials, consisting of assemblies of nanostructures, for electronic, optoelectronic, chemical-catalytic, or biological-diagnostic applications.

The distinction between classes (1) and (2) is always practical and sometimes also conceptual. While class (2) is aimed toward the miniaturization of electronic circuitry and of catalytic and biological templates, class (1) is aimed toward the realization of single-electron nanodevices. There are already significant advances in the utilization of single nanostructures for single-electron memory devices based on Coulomb blockade and on a single-electron transistor. Progress for the class (2) system involves scanning probe tips in arrays, LED and laser diodes of semiconductor nanostructures, arrays of semiconductor quantum dots, and nanowires. Nanocircuits making use of carbon nanotubes were described. Metallic and semiconducting properties of multiwalled nanotubes have been constructed by the stepwise burning of layers and by chirality control. These approaches allow for the use of nanotubes in nanocircuitry, with special potential advances in the use of Y junction nanotubes. Another significant area involves nanomaterials for optoelectronics, where functional devices, based on confinement, low potential for photonic switching and optical communication.

The information paradigm in nanostructures may involve two alternative routes. First, the bottom-up approach, starting from a single nanostructure being based on nanofabrication, miniaturization, and assembly of nanostructures to produce a nanostructured computer. Resonant tunneling devices deserve special mention in this context, since they have already demonstrated success in multivalued logic and memory circuits. Second, the top-down approach will utilize and apply the conceptual framework of supramolecular chemistry and self-assembly of nanostructures to produce organized suprastructures for information processes. Spintropic memory based on magnetic, semiconducting nanoparticles, provides a promising direction. (2564)

Answer the following questions:

1) Why is the field of electronics one of the most important and far-reaching potential applications? 2) What are the dual goals of multidisciplinary research-technology area of nanoelectronics? 3) How do you understand the term Coulomb blockage and how is it used in physics? 4) What are the advances in the utilization of single nanostructures? 5) What do the stepwise burning of layers and chirality control allow for? 6) Why do resonant tunneling devices deserve special mention in the context of nanostructured computers?

Task 1. Put your own questions to the text. Discuss the questions with the group. Provide the group with some additional information on issues of the lesson.

Task 2. Look through the text and find the sentences that refer to potential applications of nanomaterials and their advances.

Task 3. Look through the text again and give the main idea of the distinction between goal classes (1) and (2).

Task 4. Find the paragraph discussing the information paradigm in nanostructures. Explain what two alternative routs it may involve.

Task 5. Use internet to find more material about nanoelectronics, nanooptoelectronics, and information nanoprocessing. Summarize the material and be ready to tell the group about it in brief or give a presentation in Power Point.