The CNI - the Center of Nanoelectronic Systems for Information Technology - at the Research Center Jülich (RCJ) and the NanoClub at the RWTH Aachen University successfully launched the second Nanoelectronics Days. The conference was held in the main building of the RWTH Aachen University, October 11-13, 2006. The goal of the Nanoelectronics Days is twofold: firstly, to discuss the recent results and achievements in nanoelectronics and to provide the technical perspective needed to understand the status and potential of this field. Secondly, they are intended to stimulate scientific exchange on a regional, European, and international level. The program sessions were bridged by additional sessions ranging from nanoscale CMOS devices and quantum electronics to molecular electronics and bioelectronics, oxide based nanoelectronics, nanophotonics and Terahertz electronics, concluding with new architectures and computational concepts. To this end, researchers from established universities, research industries and industry, such as IBM, Infineon, Hewlett Packard, Aixtron, STMicrolectronics, Sony, IMEC, EPFL, University of Tsukuba (NIMS), University of Copenhagen (NSC), Delft University of Technology Kavli), University of Basel, Aarhus University, Research Center Karlsruhe (INT), etc. presented their results and visions for future nanoelectronics by means of twelve invited talks, 23 lectures and 91 poster presentations. In their welcome address, Achim Bachem, head of the board of RCJ directors, and Gernot Güntherodt, head of the RWTH NanoClub, highlighted the prime importance of nanoelectronics and the topics covered by the close cooperation between CNI and NanoClub. The conference started with a session on nanologic and quantum devices, focusing on future concepts driving CMOS to its limits and beyond. Dealing with the scenario that further shrinking of silicon devices will come to an end within 10 to 15 years, the researchers discussed new materials and conceptional alternatives.
The Terahertz session was dedicated to terahertz applications. Terahertz electronics generate und detect terahertz radiation which use non-destructive spectroscopy and imaging for biological, medical and safety purposes. H.B. Wang (National Institute for Materials Science, Tsukuba, Japan) provided a survey on the state of the art of terahertz applications. Norbert Klein (CNI, Jülich) presented how to minimize the optical resolution of terahertz devices.
Lars Samuelson (Nanostructure Consortium, Lund University, Sweden) gave an overview of nanowires for the realization of quantum structures and devices as an alternative to CMOS technology. Dopant segregation in Schottky-barrier SOI-Mosfets (SOI = Silicon On Insulator) as well as carbon nanotube quantum dots or nanowire transistors were also presented. Roberto Bez, (STMicrolectronics, Italy) started the flash- and phase-changed memory session with a survey of the field. The local structure and the physical properties of new phase-change materials were the center of discussion. Non-volatile memories on the basis of hysteretic ferroelectric oxides were the topic of the session where Masakazu Aono (Tsukuba University, Japan) reviewed the characteristics of oxides and chalcogenides and their potential in application. This session further focused on the scaling limits of using oxides in memory application and their switching behavior at nanometer dimensions. The session on Spintronics focused on the understanding of spin properties, such as lifetime, and the resulting handling of the spin of electrons provides exciting opportunities for completely new device concepts. Combining the spin transport with the electronic or semiconductor
world opens up a new avenue in this field. The design of defined material systems and multilayers allows the construction of magnetic systems to manipulate definite spin device functions. The session was highlighted by Kohei Itoh (Keio University, Japan) with a perspective of new discoveries and applications in spintronics, and by Lieven Vandersypen (Delft University, The Netherlands) with new results for electron spin qubits in quantum dots. The molecular electronic session focused on the electron transport in molecules and on the metal-molecule interface, the contact which leads to the full device world. Thomas Björnholm (NanoScience Center Copenhagen, Denmark) gave an overview of the conditions of molecular electronics, starting with single molecules and ending with self assembled circuitry. The conference was concluded by the world-leading expert in defect tolerant nanoarchitectures, Phil J. Kuekes (Hewlett Packard, USA), and Stephen Chou (Princeton, USA) the leading expert in nanoimprint technologies. Stephen Chou offered an outlook towards the real nanoimprint below 10 nm and the variety of the imprint technology in bioelectronics and medical applications. He summarized that nanoimprint is a powerful tool but our understanding of the underlying physics is still in its early stages. Phil Kuekes stated the need for defect tolerant design and computing concepts to compensate increasing defect rates as single device dimensions keep shrinking. Massive parallel computing and the use of field programmable arrays of switches (molecules, oxides, etc), which can tolerate defects, were discussed. HP crossbar latch can perform the NOT operation, which, along with AND and OR, is one of the three basic operations that make up the primary logic of a circuit. Finally, he provided first solutions and concepts for connecting the crossbar latch to the silicon CMOS world. The conference has attracted much attention in its second year with more than 250 participants from thirty countries. The conference can be recommended to those who wish to gain a clear overview of nanoelectronics and who are interested in discussing new ways and new systems in nanoelectronics on a high level.