Surface science, quantum transport and atom-scale electronics

T. -C. Shen
Department of Physics
Utah State University

Sometime in the next decade, the gate length of MOSFET transistors will be around 10-20 nm, and quantum mechanics is no longer an academic exercise. The operation of classical transistors and the fabrication of integrated circuits involving such small devices will face formidable challenges. I will discuss a few novel approaches addressing these difficulties. One approach that we have been pursuing at USU is to exploit quantum tunneling to control small devices. To fabricate structures to manipulate electron wavefunctions in crystalline silicon, a deep understanding of silicon surface is necessary.