The Quantum Leap from Micro - to Nanoelectronics
A talk by Prof. Klaus von Klitzing
It is generally accepted, that the scaling law for the miniaturization of microelectronic devices breaks down if the wave nature and the discrete charge of electrons dominate the electronic properties. These quantum phenomena, which are typical for nanodevices, do not mark the end in the miniaturization of devices but open the possibility to create new devices with new functions where for example the energy quantization of electrons in confined structures, tunnel phenomena through barriers and single electron charging of small islands play an important role. The roadmap in nanoelectronics mentions new devices like resonant tunneling diode, single electron transistor, quantum cellular automata or nanotube devices. Up to now it is not clear, whether the top-down process in miniaturization will be successful in nanoelectronics or whether molecular systems and self-organized structures will be combined with standard CMOS technology.
Carbon based materials (nanotubes, buckey balls, graphene) seem to be an interesting building block for applications in nanoelectronics especially after the Nobel Prize in Physics 2010 in this field. The main part of the talk will discuss the most important technologies for the preparation of semiconductor nanostructures and the new properties of these devices if quantum phenomena become important.
Bio
Klaus von Klitzing is a German physicist who was awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1985 for his discovery that under appropriate conditions the resistance offered by an electrical conductor is quantized; that is, it varies by discrete steps rather than smoothly and continuously. Klitzing demonstrated that electrical resistance occurs in very precise units by using the Hall effect.
The significance of von Klitzing's discovery, made in 1980, was immediately recognized. His experiments enabled other scientists to study the conducting properties of electronic components with extraordinary precision. His work also aided in determining the precise value of the fine structure constant and in establishing convenient standards for the measurement of electrical resistance.
He attended the Technical University of Brunswick, graduating in 1969, and then earned a doctorate in physics at the University of Würzburg in 1972. In 1980 he became a professor at the Technical University of Munich, and in 1985 he became director of the Max Planck Institute of Solid State Physics in Stuttgart, Germany.
