Applications of

Nanotechnology in Electronics

Electronics and Computers

Nanotechnology Makes:Smaller Transistors

Smaller MemorySmaller Circuitry

Nanotechnology in Computer Processing

Moore’s Law

Moore’s Law describes a trend of technology. It states that the number of transistors that can be put on a single chip will double every two years

Instead of making transistor components and assembling them on a board, nanoscale transistors are grown together on a silicon wafer. They look much different from the traditional transistors

NANO TRANSISTOR

TRANSISTORS

The human brain has about 100 billion neurons.

Each neuron has thousands of synapses.

The newest processors have only two billion transistors.

Because of nanotechnology, the speed of computers has increased while the price of computing has decreased

Nanotechnology in Memory and Storage

This is a 2 gigabyte hard drive. It weighs about 70 pounds. It was first used in the 1980s. Its cost at that time ranged from $80,000 to $140,000.

2 GB in 1980s

$80,000

2 GB in 1990s

$200

2 GB in 2010

$5

Current research

shows that by

using

nanotechnoloy

,1000GB of memory

can fit on the head of

this pin. 1000 GB is

1 Terabyte.

Nanotechnology in Displays

Nanotubes are small enough that they cannot be seen, so they can be great conductors to be used as transparent contacts.

These layers contain transparent electrodes

Carbon nanotubes on a glass or plastic sheet allow manufacturers to make clear conductive panels for displays that are extremely thin

Nanotechnology in Circuitry

How do we see these circuits?

To see the circuitry, researchers use an electron microscope or an atomic force microscope. This image shows different levels of a circuit.

In the Nano Electronics Activity, you will download the virtual microscope from the University of Illinois website. It allows you to explore samples with an SEM and AFM.

This is a scanning electron Microscope image of an accelerometer. You can use the controls to Zoom in, pan, and take measurements

Choose the integrated circuit. Change the color scheme to HSV. Use the scroll wheel on the mouse to zoom in and out. Toggle the AFM and draw a box on the chip to show the 3D view of that part of the circuit

Drag the scale tool

in the locations on

the chip to record

the measurements.

Drag the height

tool between

locations on the

chip to record

the measurements.