Nanotechnology, by its name, refers to technology at small scales, literally at nanometer scale dimensions. The fact that nanoscale features occur in one form or another across many different fields has led to “nanotechnology” being regarded as a somewhat broad umbrella encompassing a host of scientific and engineering disciplines. One of the most important areas within nanotechnology is that of nanoelectronics, which is concerned with nanometer scale devices, circuits, and architectures impacting the continued scaling of information processing systems, including communication and sensor systems, as well as providing an interface between the electronic and biological worlds. The present attention on nanotechnology and nanoelectronics has been driven from the top down by the continued scaling of semiconductor device dimensions into the nanometer scale regime, as well as the bottom-up growth of self-assembled materials based on semiconductor and carbon nanostructures. As nanotechnology has evolved from being defined by a set of fundamental discoveries and molecular scale capabilities, to becoming increasingly pervasive in all aspects of technology, it has become a ubiquitous presence in almost every conceivable technology of current importance to society.
The IEEE Nanotechnology Council has a mission to promote and support the theory, design, and development of nanotechnology and its scientific, engineering, and industrial applications. The flagship conference of the IEEE Nanotechnology Council is the IEEE International Conference on Nanotechnology (IEEE NANO), and we are especially pleased to support the publication of the current Nanoelectronic Device Applications Handbook, whose inspiration arose out of the results and ideas presented at the IEEE Nano 2011 conference held in Portland, Oregon. The particular focus of this volume on nanoelectronic devices is especially timely and relevant, given the evolution of the semiconductor industry into what is conceivably the world’s largest nanotechnology industry. This volume is a unique assembly of topics ranging from present-day nanodevices used commercially today, new nanomaterials such as semiconductor nanowires to carbon-based electronics, and to potential future technologies based on entirely new concepts of information processing such as single electron devices, phase change devices, nanomagnetics, spintronics, and quantum computing. The reader should find a wealth of current topics in nanoelectronics within this handbook, which will serve as an invaluable reference on this ubiquitous technology.
Stephen M. Goodnick
IEEE Nanotechnology Council President