edited by David K. Ferry, John R. Barker, Carlo Jacoboni.
.PUBLICATION, DISTRIBUTION, ETC
Place of Publication, Distribution, etc.
Boston, MA :
Name of Publisher, Distributor, etc.
Imprint: Springer,
Date of Publication, Distribution, etc.
1991.
SERIES
Series Title
NATO ASI Series, Series B: Physics,
Volume Designation
251
ISSN of Series
0258-1221 ;
SUMMARY OR ABSTRACT
Text of Note
The technological means now exists for approaching the fundamentallimiting scales of solid state electronics in which a single carrier can, in principle, represent a single bit in an information flow. In this light, the prospect of chemically, or biologically, engineered molccular-scale structures which might support information processing functions has enticed workers for many years. The one common factor in all suggested molecular switches, ranging from the experimentally feasible proton-tunneling structure, to natural systems such as the micro-tubule, is that each proposed structure deals with individual information carrying entities. Whereas this future molecular electronics faces enormous technical challenges, the same Iimit is already appearing in existing semiconducting quantum wires and small tunneling structures, both superconducting and normal meta! devices, in which the motion of a single eh arge through the tunneling barrier can produce a sufficient voltage change to cut-off further tunneling current. We may compare the above situation with today's Si microelectronics, where each bit is encoded as a very !arge number, not necessarily fixed, of electrons within acharge pulse. The associated reservoirs and sinks of charge carriers may be profitably tapped and manipulated to proviele macro-currents which can be readily amplified or curtailed. On the other band, modern semiconductor ULSI has progressed by adopting a linear scaling principle to the down-sizing of individual semiconductor devices.
OTHER EDITION IN ANOTHER MEDIUM
International Standard Book Number
9781489936912
PIECE
Title
Springer eBooks
PARALLEL TITLE PROPER
Parallel Title
Based on a NATO ASI held in Il Ciocco, Italy, July 23--August 3, 1990